The Scott County Record

Hunters walk through a field north of Scott City on the opening weekend of pheasant season

62 Pages • Five Sections

Volume 23 • Number 15

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Published in Scott City, Ks.

$1 single copy

County to withdraw from recycling group With a sharp increase in fees on the horizon, Scott County Commissioners have decided not to renew their membership in the Northwest Kansas Recycling Organization for the upcoming year.

Instead, the county will purchase its own equipment and continue to recycle on its own

while considering options for disposing of recycled products.

The commission has been looking at recycling alternatives for the past year, at one time approaching Waste Connections about the prospect of establishing a recycling program through them. While Waste Connections did seem receptive to the idea at

the time, company representatives have not come back to the county with any proposals.

The county felt it was forced into taking action in response to additional rate hikes announced by the NWKRO. With the NWKRO struggling to keep its head above water, it has advised the eight participating counties

that it will need an additional $1 per capita assessment to finish out the current year.

In addition, it’s considering the prospect of increasing the annual assessment to $8 in 2016, according to Scott County Public Works Director Richard Cramer.

The county is currently pay-

ing $4 per person based on the 2010 census (3,816).

The added $1 per person would bring the county’s 2015 assessment to $7,632. If the assessment is hiked to $8 per person that would bring the membership cost to $30,528.

The commission said no to (See RECYCLING on page two)

Overall city, county tax levies down

Brownie Wilson of the Kansas Geological Survey explains changes in water levels within the Ogallala Aquifer as seen over the last five decades which are being used in a newly developed water model to project future trends in groundwater depletion.

(Record Photo)

GWMD finally has its water depletion model While ag producers and major water users within Groundwater Management District No. 1 were debating how much or whether to cut irrigation usage, they kept hearing from state officials about a water model that was in the works.

This model would be able to provide projections of water table changes based on current consumption and rainfall. It would also provide projections on the annual rate and extent of the declining water table based on variables, such as drought, soil conditions and reductions in pumping activity.

That model is now a reality.

“This model will be valuable in identifying water table trends and how those trends will be impacted by different scenarios,” said Brownie Wilson of the Kansas Geological Survey during a presentation at the GWMD No. 1 board office in Scott City on Tuesday.

The sce“We probably narios of wouldn’t take a p a r t i c u l a r one size fits all interest to approach. “We could establish the GWMD guidelines that board have would be specific to do with to each county the impact . . .” on the - GWMD Ogallala District Manager Aquifer Kyle Spencer, if produc- referring to the ers were to prospects of proreduce con- posing another s u m p t i o n . LEMA in GWMD No. 1 For example, the district had considered creating a Local Enhanced Management Area and reducing irrigated water usage by 20 percent, but that proposal was rejected early last year by water rights holders.

With the water model, the GWMD board and staff can show the impact throughout the district if irrigation usage were to be reduced by whatever number they choose to plug in.

406 Main, St. Scott City • 620-872-2090 www.scottcountyrecord.com

Holiday tablescape has become a family tradition Page 27

With the data now available and the ability to see water level changes through the model, it’s possible the GWMD board may look at proposing water reduction guidelines that would vary across the district.

“We probably wouldn’t take a one size fits all approach,” says District Manager Kyle Spencer. “We could establish guidelines that would be specific to each county, or we could break it down so that one set of guidelines apply to eastern Greeley County and Western Wichita County.”

The model would allow the GWMD to plug in data for those specific areas, with targeted goals for reductions in irrigation usage, and determine the overall impact on the region’s Ogallala, both in the short-term and long-term.

Gaisheng Liu, a geologist with the Kansas Geological Survey, said the model is “very

good” at forecasting the impact of water usage when looking out for several years. While the KGS feels the model can provide an accurate picture of what to expect in the long-term as well, it is also subject to unknown events, such as prolonged drought.

Two Scenarios The KGS has initially done studies on water levels in GWMD No. 1 based on two scenarios - no change in water usage and a 20 percent reduction.

Under both, it determined that by 2030 the Ogallala in this region will be reduced by onethird. By 2080, the amount of available water will be reduced by another one-third.

“With a 20 percent reduction you’re gaining time and you’re extending the life of the Ogallala,” said Wilson.

(See MODEL on page eight)

406 Main, St. Scott City • 620-872-2090 www.scottcountyrecord.com Opinion • Pages 4-6 Calendar • Page 7 Youth/education • Page 9 Turkey winners • Pages 10 Health care • Pages 14-15 Deaths • Page 16

Church services • Page 17 Sports • Pages 19-26 Pigskin Payoff • Page 24 Farm section • Pages 28-29 Classified ads • Pages 31-33 Business • Page 34

The holiday season is also tax season and that can be a double-whammy for the pocketbook.

This year, Scott City and Scott County taxpayers will get a small break - albeit it very small - when tax statements begin arriving in the mail next week.

For most Scott City residents, the tax levy will be 200.129 mills - down from 202.489 a year ago.

The breakdown includes: 2014 2015 State 1.5 1.5 County 64.942 64.984 Scott City 72.950 72.847 USD 466 60.847 58.548 Recreation 2.25 2.25 Total revenue to be raised from the 2015 levy will also be down $1.36 million as a result of the mill levy reduction.

The five entities above will receive $13.2 million in taxes compared to $14.57 million last year.

Airport roundtop demolition gets preliminary okay

Tentative approval has been given to demolishing the roundtop hangar at the Scott City Airport to make way for the potential construction of T-hangars.

Following a lengthy meeting, the Airport Commission agreed to demolition plans on a 4-2 vote. Preliminary plans call for construction of a T-hangar facility that will house eight aircraft.

“If the bids come in higher than expected, then we’ll put it off for another year,” said Councilman Gary Eitel who is also on the Airport Commission.

The city receives $150,000 annually from the Federal Aviation Administration for airport improvements. The council has been “banking” this money and currently has $300,000 for hangar construction. Eitel says if bids are too high, Eitel suggests banking another $150,000 from the FAA. If hangar construction is approved, Eitel said it likely wouldn’t begin before October 2016.

New coach wants to instill new attitude in SCHS girl’s hoops Page 19

The Scott County Record • Page 2 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Council okays water drainage near Love’s A plan to redirect water drainage from Love’s truck stop that is under construction has been approved by the Scott City Council.

Water currently flows south

along the frontage street and continues along the east side of US83 Highway. Love’s has made arrangements with Pamida, owner of the land on which Shopko is located, to channel the water east.

pond that was constructed by the Scott County Hospital.

Once completed, the waterway will become the city’s responsibility to maintain.

“What if we get a 100-year

According to Scott City Public Works Director Mike Todd Love’s will be responsible for the dirt work and planting a grass waterway that will move water east toward a drainage

rain? Where will the excess water flow?” Councilman Gary Eitel asked Todd.

Any overflow will drain to the south and east onto adjoining farm ground, said Todd.

Recycling Sales tax grant (continued from page one)

both requests, but will end its membership in the NWKRO as of Dec. 31.

Commissioners said they would rather keep the $30,000 in the community and given the NWKRO’s recent history, further rate hikes were likely.

The county will lease a couple of balers to replace those which are currently provided by the NWKRO. Cramer estimates that balers can be purchased for between $13,000 and $16,000 each or rented for about $250-$300 per month.

The county will also look at options for storage buildings, possibly something that could be located at the same site as the recycling center on south US83 Highway.

That’s the short-term plan. The commission is also considering longrange options that include the possibility of purchasing another building where the recycling center could be relocated. The former Heartland Foods and Alco buildings are being considered as possibilities.

Cramer said that, given the number of senior citizens who participate in the recycling effort, having a location in town would be more convenient and safer.

deadline is Dec. 1

Non-profit organizations in Scott County are reminded that the deadline to make application for sales tax grants is Tues., Dec. 1.

Completed applications are due at City Hall by 5:00 p.m. Application forms and other information are available at City Hall.

In 2014, 12 organizations were recipients of $319,000 in sales tax grants. Recipients included: Scott City Stars Swim Club $12,000 Scott County Veterans Park Memorial $27,000 Scott Community Walking Trail $27,000 Scott Community Golf Course $50,000 Scott County Arts Council $24,000 Scott County Extension Council $10,000 Scott County Historical Society $49,000 Scott County Indoor Arena/Activity Center $20,500 Scott County VIP Center $16,500 Scott Recreation Commission $50,000 Spencer Flight and Education Center $12,500 Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center $20,500 Total $319,000

Other Options Cramer says he has also been approached by GTR Resources, a recycling company based in Weatherford, Tex., that would be willing to purchase recycled product from the county with the exception of glass and books.

It was estimated that any money received from GTR Resources would likely only cover the cost of the garland boxes.

The county is also exploring the possibility of using the same company that Wichita County does to haul recycled material.

UMC turkey dinner Sat.

The Scott City United Methodist Church will be hosting its annual Christmas bazaar and turkey dinner on Sat., Nov. 21.

The day’s events will begin with homemade rolls and coffee at 9:00 a.m. Tables will also be filled with silent auction and white elephant items, along with homemade baked goods.

The turkey dinner will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12-years.

Calls for take-out will be taken from 11:00 a.m. to noon at 872-2401. There will be no deliveries.

Take-out meals are to be picked up at the south entrance of the church.

Masons plan soup supper

The Scott County Anthem Masonic Lodge will sponsor a soup supper and raffle on Sat., Nov. 28, starting at 5:30 p.m., at the Masonic Lodge Hall, 600 Cedar St., Scott City.

For a free-will donation those attending will be served either chili or chicken noodle soup.

There will be a grand prize drawing valued at more than $500. There will also be more than 15 other prizes given away. The grand prize drawing winner must be present.

Tickets are $10 each and available by contacting Neal Gamble (214-1679), Merv Poore or any Lodge member.

What’s for Lunch in Scott City?

Sun. - Sat., November 22-28 Tate’s Restaurant Majestic Theatre 420 Main • 872-3840 No Membership Required

Hours

Lunch • Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Evenings • Thurs., Fri., Sat. 5:30 -10:00 p.m.

Tues. • Open faced prime rib sandwich with french fries. $10.95 Wed. • Smothered steak with mashed potatoes and gravy. $7.95 Thurs. • Closed - Happy Thanksgiving.

Fri. • Closed - Happy Thanksgiving.

405 Main Call for take out - 909-5002

1211 Main • 872-3215

5Buck Lunch 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

• Chili Cheese Dog • Deluxe Cheeseburger • 3 Piece Chicken Strips

Includes Fries, 21 oz. Drink and Small Sundae

1304 S. Main • 872-5301

6

11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

$

49

Full Buffet

Tuesday - Thursday 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Friday-Saturday 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.

Sunday 11:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Western Burger (includes choice of side)

Fresh onion ring, BBQ sauce, grilled honey ham on a thick certified angus burger.

$850 $10

(with salad bar)

The Scott County Record

Community Living

Page 3 - Thursday, November 19, 2015

memories from nowhere

Family life at the heart of book by former SC resident Anyone who has grown up and lived in Western Kansas is accustomed to hearing or saying they live in the “middle of nowhere.”

Twila Tuttle Blakely is a little more specific in her book, “Thirty-One Miles from Nowhere.”

The title is in reference to the many years she spent growing up on the family farm near Kalvesta where the nearest town (Cimarron) is 31 miles away.

But, in another sense, it could be said that Blakely and her family grew up living close to everywhere as she and her siblings attended schools in Jetmore, Garden City, Beeler and Scott City and their mother taught at Sublette, Dighton and Amy. Tales of life on the family farm are at the heart of this 343-page paperback.

“I wrote this so that my kids and my grandkids would know more about my parents and also about what life was like for us growing up,” said Blakely while visiting with classmates and autographing

Births PARENTS OF DAUGHTER Tim and Terra Peintner, Fresno, Calif., announce the birth of their daughter, Taeava Ann, born Nov. 3, 2015, at St. Agnes Medical Center.

She weighed 8 lbs., 7 oz. and was 21 inches.

She was welcomed home by big brothers, Trey and Truce.

Maternal grandparents are Quido and Becky Bindi, Stockton, Calif.

Paternal grandparents are Paul and Shirley Strickert, Scott City, and Tom and Diana Peintner, Leavenworth.

books at the Scott County Library on Monday.

Chapters are devoted to those things which made farm life unique from the 1940s through the 1960s the family home, the barn, the windmill and even the outdoor john. One chapter also tells about the “dreaded” task of moving irrigation pipe on alfalfa ground and the amount of work involved in cutting, raking and finally baling hay.

“We worked, worked, worked,” says Blakely.

And there was the time that a FFA group visited the farm and her father said no problem - his daughters would prepare the meal. Blakely was only in the fourth grade at the time and her older sister, Virginia, was a sixth grader.

“We caught four chickens and killed, plucked, singed, gutted and cut them up,” says Blakely.

“And we made mashed potatoes. I don’t know how we did it.”

project she didn’t know if there would be enough to fill a book. She was aided by a diary that she kept from eighth grade through the start of her senior year of high school.

“We had tragedies in our family. Writing the book brought those memories back,” says Blakely, who had the first printed copies of her book in June.

“It turned out better than I had hoped, and the response has been better than I expected,” she says. “I figured the kids and grandkids and some friends and neighbors would buy a copy, but it’s gone beyond that. I’ve probably sold about four times as many as I expected and I’m not done yet.

Following the autograph ceremony in Scott City, Blakely and her book tour will be making stops in Dighton, Jetmore, Ness City, Cimarron, Newton, Garden City and Dodge City.

“The book has done Bringing Back Memories what I hoped. It’s taught When Blakely decid- the kids and grandkids ed to tackle the writing things they didn’t know

Twila Tuttle Blakely is joined by former classmate Faye Stewart during her book signing in Scott City on Monday.

(Record Photo)

about their family,” says Blakely, who moved from Hesston to Albuquerque, N.M., 3-1/2 years ago.

“I’ve also gotten feedback from people I didn’t even

know who have said how much they enjoyed the book.

“They’ve told me there were parts where they cried and parts where they

laughed. When you can get people to feel their emotions like that from reading a book then I feel I’ve accomplished something,” she added.

The Scott County Record

Editorial/Opinion

Page 4 - Thursday, November 19, 2015

editorially speaking

Closed minds:

Legislative leaders stifle differences of opinion

At a time when misinformation seems to be the foundation of Republican politics - from Syrian refugees to Hispanic immigrants to Obamacare it should be no surprise that Republican leaders in Topeka have taken efforts to minimize the voices of those who have differences of opinion.

Not that this is anything new.

Moderate Republican lawmakers in the state legislature have felt for some time under the Brownback Administration that if they don’t walk lightly and try to toe the line with the administration they will be marginalized and shuttled off to committees where they can have little impact on important policy decisions.

House Speaker Ray Merrick left little doubt that those fears are legitimate with his decision to remove three members - Rep. Barbara Bollier, Rep. Don Hill and Rep. Susan Concannon - from the House Health and Human Services Committee.

All three are considered “moderate” Republicans, or as Rep. Hill says, a “sensible centrist.”

All three had also committed the political crime of expressing support for expanding Medicaid coverage to an estimated 77,000 Kansans who currently do not qualify.

But here’s the real travesty. All three were probably the most knowledgeable members of the committee. Bollier is a retired physician, Hill is a pharmacist and Concannon served as executive director of a health foundation. Knowledge and experience would seem to be important attributes when making public policy, but not when it differs with the objectives of the Brownback Administration and ultraconservative lawmakers.

This has become the real tragedy within Kansas government. Ideaology trumps reasoned debate.

Conjecture is more important than real science.

And fear is the greatest weapon of all.

Merrick and the Brownback Administration fear public debate and differences of opinion - especially from people who actually know what they’re talking about.

This isn’t even about politics. It’s about having a government that’s willing to fully discuss issues in an open manner and not push those outside the room who have a difference of opinion. A willingness to hear all viewpoints is the only way that good government and effective policy decisions can be made.

Gov. Brownback, Speaker Merrick and the ultraconservative dogma they represent have clearly demonstrated they aren’t interested in intelligent debate or open government.

That’s not good for Kansas government or Kansans who must live with the consequences.

Stoking fear:

Misinformation at the heart of refugee rhetoric

It would seem that the best part of fear-mongering is that one doesn’t have to be bothered with the facts.

Donald Trump claims that most illegal immigrants out of Mexico are rapists and criminals and it feeds into what his voting base wants to hear.

Following that same playbook, Gov. Sam Brownback signed an executive order Monday saying no state agency or organization receiving state money will help relocate Syrian refugees in Kansas. Another 27 governors - 26 of them Republicans - have voiced similar opposition.

“We must take immediate action to ensure terrorists don’t enter Kansas under the guise of refugee resettlement,” tweeted Brownback.

Displaying his ignorance on the refugee crisis, Congressman Tim Huelskamp claims that the United Nations refugee agency, known as UNHCR, is doing the background checks to make sure that terrorists aren’t allowed into the country along with the refugees.

Huelskamp, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, is wrong. The UN is not vetting refugees who are seeking asylum in the U.S. Huelskamp, Brownback and others might be interested in knowing that refugees entering the U.S. must first go through an 18- to 24-month process that includes biometric and biographic tests, interviews and other vetting procedures by a number of U.S. security agencies.

Obama Administration officials acknowledge that there is a lot of misinformation and many people are just learning about the extensive security process. At the same time, politicians like Brownback and Huelskamp aren’t about to let the facts get in the way of stoking unnecessary fear while catering to their voting base.

America has a legacy of providing a refuge for the huddled masses who are seeking a better life and to escape from tyranny and oppression.

Unfortunately, that open door policy is being met with closed minds.

Some have more to give thanks for History has told us that the first winter was an extremely difficult one for the Pilgrims in Plymouth colony.

But it wasn’t just the harsh conditions and lack of preparation that contributed to their difficulty.

Historians are learning more about the early Pilgrims from some recently discovered manuscripts that detailed events in the first few months after setting foot on Plymouth Rock on Dec. 11, 1620.

During an emergency meeting of the General Court, many citizens expressed fears about the short rations and the lack of food in many households while some households had plenty of supplies.

“Why are a few of you getting so much while the rest of us get so little?” complained one citizen.

“I’m calling it the Trickle-Down Compact,” explained Governor Sam as he tried to calm the citizenry. “It’s a new concept that a few of us worked out on the voyage over here. If we make sure that a handful of people

have more sustenance and more wealth, then eventually those blessings will be spread among the rest of you.”

“And exactly how are the rest of us supposed to keep from being hungry while some of you get most of the food?” asked another citizen.

“I’d like to explain it to you, but I doubt that you’d understand,” says Governor Sam. “You just need to have faith that it will happen because we wouldn’t have come up with this idea if we didn’t think it would work. Maybe my spokeswoman can explain it better than me.”

“Thank you, Governor Sam,” said Pilgrim Melika. “I know that this trickle-down thing is way over the heads of most of you, so let me simplify things a little. The problem isn’t with Governor Sam’s food distribution plan. The problem is

that too many of you are trapped in a cycle of longterm dependency. You expect the colony to do everything for you when you need to do more for yourselves.

“If you have access to more food than you are less motivated to go out and kill some game, trap a beaver, plant some squash or whatever it is that you do to feed your bellies.

May I say in the kindest way possible, quit your complaining and learn to do for yourselves.”

“Melika, your way with words should serve as an inspiration to everyone,” says Governor Sam as he again addresses the colonists.

“But not everyone can care for themselves in the same way,” said General Court member Don. “As a member of the harvest committee I feel we have the ability to do more to help everyone in our colony.”

“I want to thank Pilgrim Don for his comments and, as Governor Sam’s top court appointee I would like to remove Pilgrim Don from the

harvest committee and to the outhouse committee,” says Pilgrim Ray. “Is there anyone else who has something he or she would like to add?”

There is silence in the room.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt, Governor Sam. I again yield these proceedings to you,” says Pilgrim Ray. “That brings us to another matter which has come to our attention,” says Governor Sam. “We have learned that at least one other ship of Pilgrims will be arriving in the spring and, naturally, they will want us to share our land, our food and - hold onto that ridiculous hat we all wear - they will also want to share our freedoms.”

There is a murmur among the crowd.

“Why here?” Pilgrim Ray demanded to know.

“I hear it’s to escape religious persecution,” replied another court member.

“Sure, that’s what they all say, but how do we (See THANKFUL on page six)

Carnage in Paris a reality check The 2016 presidential campaign has been peculiarly disconnected from the real world of problems, crises and governing. It took the catastrophe in Paris to narrow the gap - and even a monstrous terrorist attack may not shake the trajectory of a contest that operates within a logic of its own.

The inevitable distance between politicking and the business of running a government is especially wide this year because of the strange configuration of the Republican field.

Donald Trump and Ben Carson in particular have detached themselves from anything resembling normal politics, and sometimes from reality itself.

Moreover, the Democratic and Republican primary electorates have such radically different views that the candidates on each side seem to be

Where to Write

another view by E.J. Dionne, Jr.

running for president of quite different countries.

The United States of the Republicans (USR) is a nation in dire trouble, losing influence around the globe and barely recovering from the Great Recession. In the USR, low taxes and smaller government are the key to everything.

The United States of the Democrats (USD) has made substantial progress since President Obama took office but still confronts economic inequality and stagnating wages.

In the USD, government needs to do more about problems, including the difficulties of accessing health coverage, child care and a college education.

Gov. Sam Brownback 2nd Floor - State Capitol Topeka, Ks. 66612-1501 (785) 296-3232

Yes, and the world outside our borders is seen as a lot more complicated in the USD than in the USR. Saturday night’s Democratic debate did nothing to close the USD-USR gap. In political terms, it left the Democratic campaign pretty much where it was before the encounter started. Clinton is still in a commanding position and she seemed ready to be a president who could deal with a crisis.

Her opening comments were more appropriate to the moment than those offered by Sen. Bernie Sanders. After two sentences about Paris, he hustled to the more comfortable ground of a “rigged economy.”

Things did not all go Clinton’s way. Former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley made his pres-

Sen. Pat Roberts 109 Hart Senate Office Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-4774 roberts.senate.gov/email.htm

ence felt this time - a genuine breakthrough for him.

And Sanders was compelling when he scored on the front-runner with his relentless emphasis on reining in Wall Street and his independence from the political generosity of big finance. It is a form of virtuousness Clinton cannot claim.

The Vermont senator pushed Clinton to leave behind a sound bite that was instantly used against her in a Twitter onslaught.

Her Wall Street donations, she explained, were tied to her work as a senator helping to rebuild Wall Street after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Voters are unlikely ever to see Wall Street as a beleaguered New York City neighborhood like Belle Harbor or SoHo. (See PARIS on page six)

Sen. Jerry Moran 141 Hart Senate Office Bldg.

Washington, D.C. 20510 (202) 224-6521 www.house.gov/moranks01/

The Scott County Record • Page 5 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Bombs won’t solve the problem Terrorists are the right wing’s best friends When Paris suffered attacks that killed 17 last January - at the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and a kosher supermarket - it responded with great class.

Parisians filled the streets, locked arm-in-arm in solidarity against terrorism. Leaders from throughout Europe (but not, alas, President Barack Obama) joined them in a show of support.

And two days after the demonstration, Socialist Prime Minister Manuel Valls gave a memorable speech to the French National Assembly supporting the government’s declared “war on terrorism” but calling for the nation to maintain its principles of religious tolerance and separation of church and state.

At which point the deputies stood and gave him an ovation, then broke into La Marseillaise. It was a wonder-

behind the headlines

by Donald Kaul

ful moment. (The French have a great national anthem and they use it like a sword.)

I doubt that moment will be repeated any time soon. The November 13 attacks in Paris ushered the entire world through yet another door, into a darker place.

It is a place of fear. If a handful of lightly armed terrorists can bring one of the world’s great cities to its knees in a single evening, killing 129 and injuring hundreds more, then who among us is safe?

It was, in a sense, more ominous than the 9/11 attacks which, while more costly in blood and treasure, seemed almost unrepeatable. We were caught unawares and took steps to ensure that we wouldn’t be again. The bad guys got lucky.

The Paris attacks demonstrate how naïve that attitude is.

How can we protect ourselves against an insidious, almost invisible army that

takes advantage of the best qualities of western society - its openness, its tolerance - to do it grievous harm?

French President François Hollande responded immediately by sending warplanes to bomb ISIS strongholds in Syria. I’m sure they killed some people, maybe even some terrorists. I can understand the response. You have to do something.

But that’s not much of something.

Bombs won’t cut it.

The diabolical thing about this enemy is that it doesn’t present much of a target. For all the talk of establishing a caliphate, it doesn’t have a navy or an air force or even artillery worthy of the name. It works in small, secretive networks and kills in numbers greatly disproportionate to its military strength.

We call them terrorists for a reason: They terrify us.

Politically, they’re the best friends the right wing ever had.

French National Front Leader Marine Le Pen, who has long advocated closing the doors to immigration, is having her “I told you so” moment.

The uber-rich like to collect trophies as proof of their unsurpassed uberness.

These are not like the tacky brass trophy you won in a bowling tournament. No, no - global ultra-billionaires compete ferociously with each other in X-treme Wealth Games to have the most dazzlingly-gorgeous trophy wife, the most humongous and elaborate trophy yacht on the seven seas, etc.

And now comes the most ostentatious game of one-upsmanship yet: The trophy mansion.

Forget those $10 million show houses perched pretentiously atop a peak in Aspen for all to see - we’re talking $100 million, $200 million, $500 mil-

lion, mine-is-bigger-than-yours monuments to mammon.

For example, a gold rush of developers are constructing monstrous trophy mansions in Los Angeles. How big?

My entire house is 1,500 square feet, but these things have 8,000-squarefoot master bedrooms, closets so vast they include catwalks, full-size IMAX movie theaters, and even “Champagne rooms.”

One of these bungalows in the luxe zip code of Bel Air is listed for sale at half-a-billion dollars. It encompasses 110,000 square feet of indoor space (the size of a shopping mall), plus a bowling alley, a night club, a casino, and - get this - four swimming pools!

“Who in their right mind needs four

and 21 seconds, compared with Donald Trump’s 50 minutes and 24 seconds.

Only Rand Paul has spoken less.

This may be a smart tactic. Because when Carson is questioned, he has a tendency to flail. The strategy of these non-answers has become apparent: duck the actual question; revert to a comfortable, if irrelevant, talking point; finish with patriotic platitude.

Carson’s approach is effective because it is so hard to capture its inanity in the confined space of a televised sound bite or newspaper article.

Consider his answer during the Fox Business-Wall Street Journal debate to a question from Journal editor in chief Gerard Baker: “Do you think JPMorgan and the other big banks should be broken up?”

Carson went on for 344 words - nearly half this column - without answering.

He denounced the “stampede of regulations, which is involved in every aspect of our lives.”

(See SCANDAL on page six)

(See PENTAGON on page six)

(See BOMBS on page six)

swimming pools?” asks a neighbor who paid a mere 10 million bucks or so for his luxurious Bel Air home.

Well, sniffed the developer, one can work up quite a sweat going around this maxi-mansion, so, “Why would you not need four swimming pools?”

Adding to the narcissistic self-indulgence of these trophy hunters, note that this $500-million Taj Mahal is not even meant to be the owner’s main home, but a place for occasional getaways.

“Nobody buys a 100,000-square foot home to use every day,” explains the developer.

Such excess in not just an embarrassment of riches, it’s obscene.

Jim Hightower is a national radio commentator, writer, public speaker and author

Ignorance is the real scandal Carson needs thought-checking, not just fact-checking The vetting of Ben Carson is focused in the wrong direction. Yes, when a candidate’s reason for being in the race is biography, the accuracy of his purported life story is fair game.

But the more fundamental question - the scarier question - about Carson isn’t whether the retired neurosurgeon is a fabulist, and therefore whether he has the right character to be president.

It’s whether he has the knowledge and understanding to be president. The evidence is rather conclusive that he doesn’t.

Why single out Carson? This is a fair question in a Republican race whose other front-runner is Donald Trump.

But Trump’s brand of blustery unpreparedness is more self-evident,

other voices

by Ruth Marcus

more accessible, than Carson’s. Trump will build a tremendous wall. He’ll stop making stupid deals.

If voters are credulous enough to be seduced by his supposed managerial skills and convinced by his grandiose promises - well, that’s on them, though woe to the rest of us.

Carson’s ignorance is of a more subtle sort, delivered with his genial bedside manner. It unfolds not in indignant sound bites but in paragraphs of pure blather. Carson doesn’t just need factchecking. He needs thought-checking.

This unsettling truth has displayed itself throughout the Republican debates. Carson tends to be a lurker at these events; where others elbow for time, Carson seems happy, for the most part, to hold back and watch.

His cumulative speaking time at the four debates so far has been 36 minutes

by John Kiriakou

I go to a lot of Major League Baseball games. I really love the sport.

Yet if you’ve been to a baseball game in the last decade, you’ve probably noticed some changes. National Guard members now perform flag ceremonies between innings. Military recruits are enlisted right on the field.

Surprise reunions Patriotism of deployed men and is a good women and their thing. It can families play out be unifying and inspirbefore an audience ing. But what of thousands. we’re seeing The games have at sporting morphed into cho- events isn’t reographed patriotic patriotism. It’s nationalism events. Who’s pay- propaganda, ing for this hoopla? even - and As it turns out, the it’s potentially dangerous.

Pentagon.

Arizona Republicans John McCain and Jeff Flake announced recently that over the past four years alone, the Pentagon has shelled out at least $6.8 million for Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and other sports leagues to “honor” troops with cheap stunts at sporting events.

The details are listed in a new Senate report.

The total tally may top $10 million - and even reach $100 million, if you count the military’s marketing deals with NASCAR. The senators call this military marketing “paid patriotism.”

For millions of your tax dollars, the Pentagon is buying things like ceremonial first pitches for recent veterans, club-level seats for vets at football games, and airport greetings for returning service members.

If that sounds crass to you, you’re not alone.

“We appreciate if they honor the men and women in uniform, but not to get paid for it,” said McCain, himself a decorated war hero.

“If the most compelling message about military service we can deliver . . . is the promise of game tickets, gifts and player appearances,” his report concludes, “we need to rethink our approach to how we are inspiring qualified men and women to military service.”

I’d go further than that.

Patriotism is a good thing. It can be unifying and inspiring. But what we’re seeing at sporting events isn’t patriotism. It’s nationalism - propaganda, even - and it’s potentially dangerous.

The Pentagon even pays for “sponsored” renditions of God Bless America.

Irving Berlin wrote that song in 1918 as a show tune for a revue called Yip Yip Yaphank. Years later, it served as the official campaign song for both Franklin Roosevelt and his Republican opponent Wendell Willkie. In the 1950s it was adopted by the fledgling civil rights movement before becoming a rallying cry for supporters of the Vietnam War in the ’60s.

On September 11, 2001, God Bless America began a new life when members of Congress sang it on the steps of the Capitol - supposedly spontaneously - as they gathered to mourn the terrorist attacks from earlier that day.

Since then, it’s become an official part of Major League Baseball games. In several stadiums the tune has replaced Take Me Out to the Ballgame in group sing-alongs during the seventh-inning stretch.

In fact, this former show tune has become mandatory in some places.

In 2008, a fan at Yankee Stadium was restrained and then ejected by police officers for attempting to leave his seat for the restroom while the song was playing. The following year, three minor league fans of the nowdefunct Newark Bears were ejected from the stadium for refusing to stand during the song.

Ultra-big houses for ultra-big egos

by Jim Hightower

Pentagon spends millions for ‘patriotism’

The Scott County Record • Page 6 • November 19, 2015

Courts should halt Kobach’s abuse of voters’ rights Kansas City Star

Kris Kobach recently and clumsily unveiled a new way to complete one’s voter registration in Kansas: Sue the secretary of state.

In another questionable move when it comes to voters’ rights, Kobach’s office stepped in to register two Douglas County men who had filed legal action against him earlier this year.

The two citizens have

challenged the legality of Kobach’s bid to purge them and others from Kansas’ suspended voters list, which once included 36,000 names.

Don’t misconstrue Kobach’s actions as a conciliatory move. They are clearly intended to head off a judge’s ruling that could topple one of the secretary of state’s signature efforts to make voting more difficult in Kansas.

Kobach has filed a

Carson announces plan to Google Syria

by Andy Borowitz

DES MOINES (The Borowitz Report)— In a major foreign-policy announcement on Wednesday, the Republican Presidential candidate Ben Carson unveiled a detailed plan to Google Syria.

Speaking in Iowa, the retired neurosurgeon told an audience of supporters, “Any responsible policy on Syria must begin with a fact-finding mission, and such a mission must begin with Googling.”

He said that “Google holds the key” to many questions about Syria. “Where is it? Who lives there? How many square miles is it? These are all things that have to be pinned down,” he said.

Carson, who leads several Republican Presidential polls, said that while his search for answers would start with Google, he would “not rule out” seeking information at Wikipedia and beyond.

“No website should be taken off the table at this time,” he said.

In closing, he said that he had “no plans” to Google Egypt, since he was already extremely well versed in that nation’s history.

Andy Borowitz is a comedian and author

Paris

(continued from page four)

But there was no escaping the horror of Paris, and here, finally, tragedy forced the primary campaign to intersect with the excruciating choices the next president will face. Clinton deserves credit for refusing to use the magic words that conservatives now demand politicians recite, as if merely intoning them would vanquish the enemy.

No, she would not condemn “radical Islam” and she cited George W. Bush, not a Democratic habit, for his repeated proclamations that, as he once said, “ours is not a campaign against the Muslim faith.” Her refusal to pander was a presidential moment, whether it hurts her politically or not.

At the same time, the early questions posed by CBS News’s John Dickerson signaled a challenge Clinton will confront throughout the campaign: She will have to find a way to be loyal to the policies of the president she served even as she distances herself from certain Obama decisions (on Syria, for example) with which she disagreed.

This necessarily intricate dance led to her roughest point in the debate. It was a sign that the rising importance of foreign policy would be both a blessing to Clinton, because of her experience and toughness, and a potential problem, depending on the course of the battle against the Islamic State over the next year.

It’s unfortunate that there isn’t a Republican debate coming up soon to force a similar encounter with hard, reality-based questions. Trump’s claim that French gun control laws made Friday’s tragedy worse is ludicrous and offensive. And demagoguing the Syrian refugee issue, as Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas are doing, is shameful.

Saturday night’s brush with what a serious conversation might look like underscored this campaign’s stunningly low level of seriousness, particularly on the Republican side, and how ill-suited it is to the choice that voters must make.

If the carnage in Paris does not change this, God help us.

E.J. Dionne, Jr., is a political commentator and long-time oped columnist for the Washington Post

Pentagon

(continued from page five)

If it’s freely chosen, standing for the national anthem is patriotic. Forcing people to stand for God Bless America isn’t.

This is about more than taxpayer money. The government has no business propagandizing the American people.

John Kiriakou is an associate fellow with the Institute for Policy Studies

Kobach’s demagoguery on this issue makes it appear he would be happy if his threats and bullying kept certain people - especially students, minorities, low-income citizens and Democrats - out of the voting booth.

motion asking a federal court to dismiss the lawsuit brought by the two men whom he just registered, arguing that they have no legal standing anymore because they “suffer no current injury.”

How convenient.

Will Lawrence, an attorney for the men, aptly summed things up

this way: “Obviously we are happy that our two clients are registered to vote, but it’s more than these two individuals who are being affected. If Kobach can just go in and get this done, why not do this for everyone?”

Good question. If the Republican secretary of state is so intent on mak-

Thankful know that’s their real motive?” wondered Gov. Sam as he glanced around the room. “I say we force any ships that arrive to remain anchored off the coast and we refuse to allow any passengers to disembark. All it takes is for the wrong person to infiltrate our colony and bad things will happen.”

“What kind of things?” asks a colonist.

“Bad . . . very bad. If I was to tell you then you wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight,” says Governor Sam. “But, Governor Sam, we were once refugees seeking to escape reli-

Such rules, he said, are driving up the cost of a bar of soap, hurting the poor. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, he said, “say it’s the rich, take their money, but that won’t work.” And, in conclusion, “We have to come back to the fundamental principles that made America great.”

Baker persisted.

“Just to be clear . . . you wouldn’t favor breaking up the big banks?”

Carson: “I would have policies that wouldn’t allow that to occur. I don’t want to go in and tear anybody down. I mean, that doesn’t help us. But what does help us is stop tinkering around the edges and fix the actual prob-

Bombs As are the anti-immigrant Republicans here.

They’re lining up in favor of not allowing Muslim refugees fleeing the conflict in their home country sanctuary in ours.

More than two dozen Republican governors have said they would refuse such refugees.

The Democrats, including Obama, have presented a far more reasonable response - not all refugees are terrorists, stay the

that contains the names of people who couldn’t register to vote because they didn’t have all the paperwork the state required, especially proof of citizenship such as with a birth certificate or passport.

That conflicts with federal law, which requires states to make registration forms available at motor vehicle offices. Those forms don’t require the proof of citizenship.

(See KOBACH on page 7)

(continued from page four)

gious persecution,” says a woman in the audience.

“How can we deny others the freedom that we sought and found?”

“Sounds like witch talk to me,” said a voice from the back of the room.

“That was different,” said Governor Sam as he pounded his fist on the table. “We know who we are. We know why we came here. We don’t know who they might be.

We didn’t work so hard to begin our way of life just to have someone else show up and want to share in what we’ve started. Can you imagine the disaster if

Scandal

ing sure people eligible to vote can do so, why can’t his office work a little harder to get as many people as possible off the suspended voters list?

Sadly, Kobach’s demagoguery on this issue makes it appear he would be happy if his threats and bullying kept certain people - especially students, minorities, low-income citizens and Democrats out of the voting booth.

Kobach helped create the suspended voters list

that were to start happening in this new world?”

At that time it’s announced that Squanto and other members of his tribe have arrived.

“We need to assure him that he never has anything to fear from us,” said Governor Sam as he prepared to adjourn the court.

“As long as they accept that our God is the only God and our way of life is the only way what could possibly go wrong?” added Pilgrim Melika.

“Amen,” replied everyone at the General Court head table.

“I would like to add that for some of you these

are difficult times. Some of your bellies aren’t full and, quite honestly, they never will be. Your homes may be a little cold and these long winter nights may sometimes seem especially long,” adds Governor Sam. “Just remember that, even in this new world, some of us will always have more to be thankful for than others. If it was supposed to be otherwise God wouldn’t have given us the power to create the Trickle-Down Compact.”

Happy Thanksgiving.

Rod Haxton can be reached at editor@screcord.com

(continued from page five)

lems that exist that are creating the problem in the first place.”

Okay then.

This is not Debate 101 answer-the-question-youwish-you-were-asked obfuscation. It is a candidate without command of the subject matter. Nor is it an isolated flub.

Asked whether he supported President Obama’s move to send Special Operations forces to Syria and leave 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, Carson’s answer careened around like a crazed pinball, bouncing between wrong facts (“You know, the Chinese are there (in Syria)”) and unenlightening platitudes (“Putting the Special Ops people

in there is better than not having them there, because they - that’s why they’re called Special Ops”).

Previous debates were much the same. Asked about vaccines and autism, Carson defaulted to denouncing “big government” for taking “so much of our taxes.”

Asked whether he would have used military force against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons, Carson bemoaned cuts to the military, concluding, “I would shore up our military first, because if you don’t get the military right, nothing else is going to work.”

Asked about subsidies

for oil and ethanol, Carson went back to overregulation and that bar of soap.

Asked about pharmaceutical companies hiking drug prices, Carson came up with, “The government is not supposed to be in every part of our lives, and that is what is causing the problem.”

I welcome a campaign that features candidates with whom I disagree; debating such differences is the essence of democracy.

A campaign with candidates so ill-informed could be its undoing.

Ruth Marcus is an editorial writer for The Washington Post, specializing in politics, campaign finance, the federal budget and taxes

(continued from page five)

course, blah-blah - which sounds weak in the heated atmosphere of a presidential campaign.

Even Donald Trump’s lunatic ravings against the invasion of Mexican rapists and drug dealers sound almost reasonable now.

“Here’s the problem,” said Marco Rubio, for once not mentioning that his father was a bartender and his mother was a cleaning lady. “You allow

10,000 people in. And 9,999 of them are innocent people feeling oppression.

And one of them is a welltrained ISIS fighter.”

That sort of logic is more appealing now, when we have Islamic militants on our television screens promising to come get us.

So is the dismissal of the revelations of Edward Snowden on the universal surveillance we’re being subjected to. More surveillance? Sounds safer.

Bring it on.

The real question is how all of this will affect our elections next year.

Will it inspire a sense of seriousness in the electorate that has been lacking so far? Or will it bend things toward the hardliners who want to hole up in Fortress America?

We’ll see.

Donald Kaul is a retired Washington columnist for The Des Moines Register.

He covered the capital for 29 years. dkaul1@verizon.net

Kobach

The Scott County Record • Page 7 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

(continued from page six)

Lutheran Church feast Nov. 26

Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Scott City, will again sponsor a free community Thanksgiving dinner on Thurs., Nov. 26, in the new church parish hall.

Elected officials should not be trying to make votThe worship service will begin at 11:15 a.m. and the ing more difficult for citizens. Kobach has tried to jusfeast will be served from noon to 1:30 p.m. tify his actions by pointing to the possibility of voter fraud occurring in the state.

However, he has been unable to document many cases despite months of looking for them. And that’s despite his new powers, provided by the Republicancontrolled Legislature, to prosecute voter fraud.

The legal system needs to rein in the abuse Kobach is trying to inflict on voter registration in Kansas. The judge should not dismiss the most recent case. Instead, it needs to serve as an example of how Kobach’s attempt to manipulate voters’ right will not be allowed to succeed.

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28 Anthem Masonic Lodge soup supper, 5:30 p.m.

Thanksgiving Feast @ Holy Cross Lutheran Church, noon1:30 p.m.

Pigskin Due @ Scott County Record, 5:00 p.m.

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The Scott County Record • Page 8 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Model A 20 percent reduction in pumping will save an estimated 1.03 million acre-feet of water through 2080.

Through the first 10 years, the water savings will amount to about 32,000 acre-feet per year.

As the aquifer continues to decline, the annual savings over the final 57 years will amount to about 8,550 acre-feet.

Scott City Councilman and farmer Bo Parkinson asked how much of a reduction in usage would be required in order to maintain the Ogallala at its existing level.

“To hold the status quo, I’d say 30 to 40 percent,” Wilson replied.

Unique Features This is actually the fourth water model created by the KGS, which has completed similar models for GWMD No. 3 (southwest Kansas), the MidArkansas basin and the Smoky Hill River basin.

It is also the most comprehensive.

Perhaps the most significant difference is how this study accounts for rainfall. In prior models, an inch of rain was immediately added to the aquifer when water typically takes about 10 years to

(continued from page one)

percolate into the underlying water table - moving at the rate of about 10 feet per year.

The GWMD No. 1 model takes into account this prolonged time period before rainfall impacts the Ogallala.

Wilson said he will be anxious to see the impact this year’s above-average rainfall has on the Ogallala following five years of drought, but then he added, “. . . it will be about 10 years before we see it.”

In some areas, it could be even longer. According to the KGS report, in irrigation pre-development time, it took about 9.6 years for surface recharge to reach a water table of 90 feet. On that same land, the average water depth had dropped to 135 feet by 2011 and the rate of surface recharge had increased to 14.4 years.

When asked what surprised him most when analyzing the model data, Wilson said it was the prolonged period of time for surface water to reach the Ogallala.

“Once we had this information we realized it needed to be built into the model. It more accurately represents the reality of what’s happening,” he noted.

And it’s not just rainfall. Wilson says changes in irrigation practices are also having a huge impact on “return flow.” He was referring to flood irrigation which peaked in the 1970s and early 1980s, but has since given way to more efficient methods.

The KGS calculates that about 25 percent of flood irrigation water returned to the Ogallala.

That compares with about four percent under today’s efficient drop-nozzle and sub-surface drip irrigation.

“We have maxed out on this water reaching the water table,” said Wilson, referring to the early years of flood irrigation. As a result, the recharge rate has declined significantly over the past decade to a current rate of about onethird of an inch per year.

In addition, old models were based on one soil type and didn’t take into account differences which also affect the recharge rate. The new model includes data on varying soil types.

Mapping the Ogallala This data was compiled by thoroughly analyzing driller’s logs since 2004. This information has allowed the KGS to

Failure to cut spending fuels state budget crisis

Persistent budget problems dogging Gov. Sam Brownback and the Kansas Legislature would have been solved with a one-time 8.5 percent reduction in state government expenditures.

No alarming budget deficits. No back-to-back increases in state sales tax. No delays in further trimming income taxes.

Dave Trabert, president of the conservative Kansas Policy Institute think tank, said the state’s Republican lawmakers lacked necessary courage in 2013 to restrain expenditures to bring the budget in line with revenue declines triggered by a 2012 law slashing individual income tax rates and exempting owners of 330,000 businesses from income tax.

“Legislators did not want to reduce the cost of government,” Trabert said during a forum on government cronyism at Anton’s KC in the downtown area. “One said during the last session, ‘If we did that, we would all lose our jobs.’ ” He said the state of Kansas set a record for general fund spending last year. To emphasize disappointment at such a turn of events, Trabert made reference to 2014 campaign remarks by Brownback denouncing skeptics of his plan for job growth and a stable budget. The governor said the people who were trying to paint a Chicken Little sky-isfalling image of the state were just a bunch of liars.

“The sky isn’t really Have questions about the Scott Commnity Foundation?

Call 872-3790

falling,” Trabert said.

“We’re poking a new ceiling.”

Trabert was joined at the forum by Patrick Tuohey, field manager for a conservative Missouri think tank known as the Show-Me Institute, Steve Vockrodt, a reporter with the alternative newspaper The Pitch, and Genevieve Wood, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

Tuohey said city and county governments were addicted to tax-increment financing, or TIFs, to drive investment within communities. Generous tax breaks are great for entrepreneurs looking for a handout, he said, but a lousy deal for taxpayers.

He said abatements drained resources that ought to be dedicated to schools, libraries, mental

health facilities and other services beneficial to all.

“The city council of Kansas City may be the biggest diverter of funds from public education in Kansas City,” he said.

“The tax money that Kansas City is not getting due to abatement amounts to about $23 million a year.”

On the national level, Wood said the ExportImport Bank stood as a legacy of the Depression that had been transformed from an agency offering loans to foreign entities that buy American products into a slush fund for giant U.S. corporations such as Boeing, Caterpillar or John Deere.

“In Washington, where the money is, is where the people show up,” Wood said.

remap the base of the Ogallala Aquifer.

Data for Scott County is based on 913 well logs.

“It confirms what we knew about the Ogallala bedrock. It’s what we describe as an egg carton with many highs and lows,” Wilson says.

In preparing data for entry into the model, the GWMD was divided into 25,000 grid cells that are one-half mile in size.

Water table and water movement calculations are conducted within each grid.

Also factored into the water table data are stream conditions for the White Woman Creek and Ladder Creek.

Describing Kansas as “data rich” with respect to water information, Wilson says the KGS team was able to do extensive research going back to the early 1970s.

“I know it’s natural for people to want to know what will happen to a specific well on their land, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable narrowing it down that much,” Wilson advised.

He said the model data is valuable in projecting fluctuations in the water table over a larger area, such as a township or county.

The Scott County Record

Youth/Education

Page 9 - Thursday, November 19, 2015

KU activists’ call for inclusion met with backlash

Activists pushing for the University of Kansas to adopt mandatory inclusion training argued that emotional and psychological violence can be as damaging as physical violence during a rare discussion with reporters Wednesday.

Katherine Rainey, a senior from Shawnee,

said that the student group Rock Chalk Invisible Hawk wants to see the university develop training for students and faculty that promotes “a conscious effort to understand others” and teaches “how to interact and uplift people who are not like you.”

KU’s Provost Jeffrey Vitter said in a statement

that the university would develop an action plan to address this and other demands, including “mandatory education, through facilitated sessions, on inclusion and belonging for all students, faculty, staff, and administrators and a plan for accountability.”

The students’ demands

and the university’s response has been met with a backlash from notable Kansas conservatives on social media. “‘Mandatory diversity training?’- sounds Orwellian,” said Clay Barker, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party, in a Facebook post.

“Will it include instruc-

tion that most of the people in Kansas are conservative and have issues with their taxes going to fund liberal ideology?

Conservatives believe in individual uniqueness, liberals in assigning people to abstract identity groups and pitting them against each other.”

Reached by phone,

Barker, who is a graduate of KU School of Law, clarified that he didn’t want to pass judgment until he sees the university’s formal plan.

“Maybe it’s just the wording. But the first question is diversity of what? Ideas or these groups that people are put (See BACKLASH on page 18)

doing good

Bluejay Bucks recipient is just ‘doing what’s right’ Stormy Wells doesn’t believe that one should perform a good deed in hopes of being rewarded.

“It just makes me feel good to help someone else,” says the Scott City Middle School eighth grader. “It shouldn’t matter if I get some kind of recognition.”

However, Wells’ good deeds haven’t gone unnoticed as the 13-year-old has been awarded Bluejay Bucks for two consecutive months - making her the first student to earn the honor in consecutive months since the awards program was initiated in September.

Teachers award Bluejay Bucks whenever they see a student going aboveand-beyond, whether its in the classroom, helping another individual or doing something extra around the school.

The awards, says SCMS Principal Jana

Irvin, are based on kindness, academic effort and leadership.

Wells received one Bluejay Buck in September and two more during October. Students can turn in their bucks for prizes.

“It’s easy to tell kids when they’re doing something wrong so we saw this as a way to reinforce the positive,” says Irvin.

“We see kids doing good things academically and doing good things for each other all the time and this is a way of letting them know that we see it happening.

“It hasn’t changed how our kids act. We already have really good kids in this building,” she says.

“It’s a way of saying, ‘You’re doing good things so keep it up.”

Wells was recognized by teachers Adrianne Wren and Jenny O’Neil

Awarded Bluejay Bucks in September and October was SCMS eighth grader Stormy Wells.

(Record Photo)

for her classroom work and by volleyball coach Gena Lausch for cleaning up the gymnasium “without being asked.”

“After a volleyball match everyone had

Ft. Hays is approved for first STEM college in state A fifth academic college became a reality at Ft. Hays State University this week when the Kansas Board of Regents unanimously approved the College of Science, Technology and Mathematics (STEM).

Dr. Greg Farley, professor of biological sciences, special assistant to the provost and interim chair of the Department of Computer Science and Information Systems Engineering, was named the interim dean

by Provost Dr. Graham Glynn.

“The College of Science, Technology and Mathematics combines complementary academic programs to meet the ever-growing national need for science graduates,” said Farley.

“We now have a fifth college and a new department, but more importantly because we came together to embrace a common dream,” said President Mirta Martin.

“I am pleased to say that

dream is now a reality.”

The new college joins the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; the College of Business and Entrepreneurship; the College of Education; and the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences. The university also has the Virtual College and the Graduate School.

The new department is the Department of Applied Business, which will be in the College of Business and Entrepreneurship.

The changes are part of a seven-month re-engineering process. In addition to the new college and department, several moves were approved.

Eight departments were moved into the new college from their current homes: •The Department of Applied Technology from the College of Education.

•The departments of Chemistry; Computer Science and Information Systems Engineering; Geosciences; Math-

ematics; and Physics, all from the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

•The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Biological Sciences from the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences.

“The combination of traditional and applied academic areas in a single administrative unit will allow students to directly experience the connections across science disciplines,” said Farley.

Another move was the Department of Psychology, which went to the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences from the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

The names of two colleges were also changed.

Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences was formerly the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Education was formerly the College of Education and Technology.

already left, but I saw some trash lying around so I started picking it up,” says Wells.

More recently, while in silent reading class, Wells says a student spilled a lot

of papers, so she helped him get them gathered back up.

“Some kids said a teacher wasn’t watching so I wouldn’t get any Bluejay Bucks, but that’s

not how it should work.

You shouldn’t help someone because you expect to get something,” Wells emphasizes.

“I do it because it’s the right thing to do.”

The Scott County Record • Page 10 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

3 state reps who favor Medicaid expansion removed from committee Three moderate Republicans who support Medicaid expansion have been removed from a House committee that oversees health care issues.

The move is the latest in the fight over whether the state should extend the health care program for those with disabilities or low incomes under the Affordable Care Act. “Kansans oppose expanding Obamacare, a program that has busted budget after budget in states that have expanded it, House Speaker Ray Merrick said in a statement.

Merrick, who makes House committee assignments, also moved moderates off key committees dealing with the budget and education Wednesday.

He said the changes were “in the best interests of our caucus and state.”

Lawmakers removed from the Health and Human Services Committee were Rep. Barbara Bollier of Mission Hills, a retired physician; Rep. Susan Concannon (R-Beloit), the vice chair who has a background in rural health; and Rep. Don Hill (R-Emporia), a pharmacist.

“I’m deeply saddened for the state that three of the most knowledgeable people on health care issues are being removed from all of the policymaking decisions … on one issue,” Bollier said.

Kansas is one of 20 states that have not expanded Medicaid under the federal Affordable Care Act. Opponents of expan-

I’m deeply saddened for the state that three of the most knowledgeable people on healthcare issues are being removed . . .

- Rep. Barbara Bollier (R-Mission Hills), one of three lawmakers who were reassigned

sion, including Gov. Sam Brownback, cite concern over costs and skepticism about a federal pledge to pay for most of any expansion. Supporters, including the Kansas Hospital Association, say the state is losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding.

The push to expand Medicaid seemed to gather a little steam earlier this fall as the Mercy Hospital system closed its Independence hospital in part because of the lack of Medicaid expansion.

Some lawmakers talked about finding a solution similar to those used by other Republican-leaning states such as Indiana and Arkansas.

The Health and Human Services Committee is the most likely panel in the House to consider any Medicaid bills.

New members on the committee are Reps.

Willie Dove (R-Bonner Springs); Brett Hildabrand (R-Shawnee); and John Whitmer (R-Wichita), who has experience working for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

“I’ll tell you what they have in common, their no vote on Medicaid expansion,” said Rep. Jim Ward (D-Wichita), the ranking Democrat on the committee, who contended that expansion had a strong chance of passing out of the committee otherwise.

The chair of the committee, Republican Rep.

Dan Hawkins of Wichita, said he had not been informed of the changes ahead of the decision.

“I would say the speaker probably has his reasons, but I wasn’t a part of that,” Hawkins said. “…

I’m not going to second guess that.”

Concannon said she found out she had been reassigned to the General Government Budget Committee after returning home from the Beloit Veterans Day Parade.

“I’m devastated,” said Concannon, who previously ran a foundation aimed at improving rural healthcare. “I haven’t done anything to undermine the chairman. I haven’t done anything to undermine the speaker. I just voiced my opinion on the issue.”

Hill and Bollier have both been moved to Elections.

Hill was also removed from the House Appropriations Committee, where he has been an outspoken opponent of the governor’s budget and tax policies.

He noted that reassignments like this are unusual when the House is in the middle of a term.

Moderates Rep. Diana Dierks (R-Salina) and Rep. John Ewy (R-Jetmore) were reassigned from the House Education Committee to the Elections and Transportation committees, respectively. Dierks blamed this on their opposition to conservative reforms to education.

“They’re taking key people and putting us on committees where we can’t, as they say, stir the pot,” Dierks said. “But trust me . . . my voice will be heard.”

The Scott County Record • Page 11 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

SCMS food drive

The Scott City Middle School Student Council organized its annual food drive again this year, collecting more than 900 items which were donated to the Scott Community Breadbasket. StuCo members with some of their food drive donations are (clockwise, from far left) Loren Faurot, Sophia Garrison, Sawyer Stevens, Paige Vulgamore, Judy Wiebe, Ella Rumford, Kylee Logan, Lyndi Rumford, Cale Goodman, Lily Pepper, Conner Armendariz, Kennedy Holstein, Payton Goodman, Carson Faurot, Lana Rodriguez, Jacob Irwin, Tara Rose, Tori Ford and Annie Talbert.

(Record Photo)

Holiday favorites . . .

This Holiday season, Greeley County Health Services is offering the gift of improved heart-health.

Green Bean Casserole Prep time: 15 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Ingredients 2 tablespoons 2 tablespoons 1 teaspoon 1 teaspoon 1/4 cup 1 cup 3 (14.5 ounce) cans 2 cups 1/2 cup 1 tablespoon

butter all-purpose flour salt white sugar onion, diced sour cream French style green beans, drained shredded cheddar cheese crumbled buttery round crackers butter, melted

Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth, and cook for one minute. Stir in the salt, sugar, onion, and sour cream. Add green beans, and stir to coat.

Transfer the mixture to a 2-1/2 quart casserole dish. Spread shredded cheese over the top. In a small bowl, toss together cracker crumbs and remaining butter, and sprinkle over the cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden and cheese is bubbly.

Recent arrivals at the

Scott County Library Depraved Heart - by Patricia Cornwell Dr. Kay Scarpetta is working a suspicious death scene when an emergency alert sounds on her phone. A text message video link seems to be from her computer genius niece, Lucy. But how can it be?

It’s clearly a surveillance film of Lucy taken almost twenty years ago. Fiction Had I Known, - by Joan Lunden Lunden speaks candidly about her battle against stage two breast cancer. Her powerful stories of pain, persistence, and perseverance will fill your heart. Bio Trapped - by Irene Hannon - When Laura Griffith’s sixteen-year-old sister disappears leaving only a brief note behind; Laura will do whatever it takes to track her down.

That will include recruiting ATF agent James Devlin. Devlin knows time is of the essence with runaways. Fiction Land of Careful Shadows - by Suzanne Chazlin - a powerful novel of passion, bigotry, and murderous secrets in a homicide detective’s picturesque hometown, an intimate journey into the human heart. Fiction They All Love Jack: Busting the Ripper - by Bruce Robinson - For over a hundred years, the mystery of Jack the Ripper has been a fascinating and horrific theory of the brutal murderer who terrorized Victorian England. What if there was never really any mystery at all? This book demolishes the theories of the so-called experts on Ripperologists.

Red Notice - by Bill Browder - The

110 W. 8th Street, Scott City http://scottcounty.mykansaslibrary.org story of a real-life political thriller about an American financier in the Wild East of Russia and the murder of his principled young tax attorney, and his dangerous mission to expose the Kremlin’s corruption.

Brickmaker’s Bride - by Judith Miller - In the clay-rich hills of the newly founded state of West Virginia, two families tentatively come together to re-build a war-torn brickmaking business. Fiction Fast Girl: a life spent running from madness - by Suzy Favor Hamilton - A former Olympic athlete and high-end escort reveals her struggles with manic depression. Exploring how mental illness both drove her competitively and painfully challenged her personal life. Non-Fiction Silver Linings - by Debbie Macomber After opening the Rose Harbor Inn, Jo Marie Rose has grown to like her handyman, Mark Taylor –Yet he won’t reveal anything about his past. Why has Mark decided to leave?

Fiction Missoula - by Jon Krakauer - Missoula, Montana, is a typical college town, a lively social scene, and an excellent football team with a rabid fan base. The Department of Justice investigated 350 sexual assaults from January 2008 – May 2012 which were reported to the police department but few were properly handled. Krakauer chronicles the experiences, the fear, self- doubt and treatment by police, prosecutors and defense attorneys. They were victims of a terrible crime from a justice system that is clearly broken.

Hugh Binns, agent 815 W. 5th St., Scott City • Office: 872-2900 Toll Free: 888-872-4070 • Fax: 872-2902 Cell:874-0041

Cardiac Rehabilitation Services are now available in Tribune, KS. Our Cardiac Rehab is a supervised program that helps improve the health and well-being of patients with heart problems. Our professional rehab program includes exercise training, education on heart healthy living, and counseling to reduce stress and help you return to an active life after a heart trauma.

For referrals or appointments, please contact Dana Shamburg, Cardiac Rehab Coordinator/RN at 620-376-4225 or by email at dshamburg@mygchs.com.

For the Record DCF plans to lower standard for child abuse The Scott County Record

The state agency tasked with investigating child abuse plans to lower the amount of evidence needed to substantiate a claim of abuse or neglect.

Department for Children and Families Secretary Phyllis Gilmore told lawmakers this week that the agency will decrease the standard of evidence it uses when investigating from “clear

The Scott County Record Page 12 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

and convincing” to “preponderance of the evidence.”

In effect, the change will mean that only 51 percent of the evidence needs to point to abuse or neglect actually taking place in order for a claim to be substantiated.

The change doesn’t constrain judges, who decide whether to remove a child from a home. But

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record on Thurs., Nov. 19, 2015; last published Thurs., Dec. 3, 2015)3t Scott County Mill Levy Rates I, Lark Speer, Scott County Treasurer, certify that the tax levies per $1,000 as valuation for the 2015 tax year are as follows: State . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.500

County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

64.984

City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

72.847

USD No. 466 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

58.548

USD No. 466 - Scott Recreation Commission . . .

2.250

USD No. 468 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

48.832

USD No. 468 - Recreation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.996

Fire District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1.311

Wet Walnut Watershed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3.043

Isbel Township . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.219

Lake Township . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.500

Valley Township . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.500

Lark Speer Scott County Treasurer

Scott Co. LEC Report Scott County Sheriff’s Department Nov. 17: Cecil Lewis, 24, was arrested for disorderly conduct and transported to the LEC.

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record Thurs., Nov. 12, 2015; last published Thurs., Nov. 26, 2015)3t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS SCOTT COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION, PLAINTIFF Vs. HERBERT A. STEVENS, DEFENDANT Case No. 15-CV-05 NOTICE OF SALE OF REAL ESTATE ON EXECUTION Notice is hereby given that under and by virtue of an execution issued by the District Judge of the District Court of Scott County, Kansas, in a certain action in said court numbered 2015CV-5, wherein the parties above named were respectively plaintiff and defendant, and to me, the undersigned, Sheriff of said county, directed. I will offer for sale at public auction, and sell to the highest bidder for cash in hand, at the front door of the court house in the city of Scott City, in said county, on the 8th day of December, 2015, at 10:00 o’clock a.m. of said day, the following described real estate, situate in the county of Scott and State of Kansas, to wit: The North half (N/2) of Section Two (2), Township Twenty (20), Range Thirty-

one (31), subject to an assignment, transfer and grant of Six-sevenths (6/7) of the oil, gas and other minerals in and under the above described real estate for a term of Fifteen (15) years from the 16th day of April 1955, and so long thereafter as oil and/ or gas may be produced from said Section Two (2) Township Twenty (20), Range Thirty-one (31), Scott County, Kansas; the Southwest Quarter (SW/4) of Section Nine (9), Township Twenty-one (21), Range Twelve (12), Stafford County, Kansas; The Northeast Quarter (NE/4) of Section Twentythree (23), Township Twenty (20), Range Twelve (12), and the West Half of the West Half (W/2W/2) of Section Seven (7), Township Twenty (20), Range Eleven (11), all in Barton County, Kansas pursuant to the provisions of a stipulation dated April 16, 1955, recorded in Book 12, Miscellaneous Records, page 585, in the office of the Register of Deeds of Scott County, Kansas. /s/ Glenn Anderson, Scott County Sheriff WALLACE, BRANTLEY & SHIRLEY 325 Main Street P.O. Box 605 Scott City, Kansas, 67871 Attorneys for Petitioner

it will make it easier for DCF to get individuals accused of abusing or neglecting a child onto a state registry. Those on the registry are barred from working or living in a child care home or facility.

“We’re the only state in the country that’s using ‘clear and convincing,’ ” Gilmore said.

According to informa-

tion provided by Gilmore, four children died in foster care in Kansas during fiscal year 2015, which ended July 1. One child has died during the current fiscal year.

The number of deaths in 2015 was the highest number of foster care deaths since 2006, when five children died.

However, only one of those deaths was from

maltreatment.

Kansas also experienced a foster care death due to maltreatment in 2014. Before that, the most recent maltreatment death occurred in 2006.

The announcement came at the first and probably only meeting of the Foster Care Adequacy Committee, an interim joint legislative committee. Sen. Forrest Knox

(R-Altoona), served as the chairman - and indicated he has questions about the proposal.

“I thought about asking her (Gilmore) about safety. I hate to even mention this, but I’m thinking about my kids. Do they live a safe life? They ride bikes without helmets, they’re out in the country, they’re climbing (See ABUSE on page 13)

How to handle an insurance claim

Filing and getting a claim resolved with your insurance company does not have to be a frustrating, time-consuming process.

Being prepared with and keeping track of the information your insurance company needs to process the claim is critical. Preparation will help in reducing the time between the insurance incident and the resolution of your problem.

To help get your claims paid promptly consider the following: •Know your policy.

Understand what your policy says. Because it is a contract between you and

commissioner’s corner Kansas Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer

your insurance company, you need to know what’s covered, what’s not and what your deductibles are.

•File claims as soon as possible.

Don’t let the bills or receipts pile up. Call your agent or your company’s claims hotline as soon as possible. Your policy might require that you make the notification within a certain time frame.

•Provide complete, correct information.

Be certain to give your insurance company all the necessary information. If your information is incorrect or incomplete, your claim could be delayed.

•Keep copies of all communications.

Whenever you communicate with your insurance company, be sure to document the communications.

With phone calls, include the date, name and title of the person you spoke with and what was said. Also, keep a record of your time and expenses.

•Ask questions.

If there is a disagreement about the claim settlement, ask the company

for the specific language in your policy that is in question. Find out if the disagreement is because you interpret the policy differently.

If your claim is denied, make sure you have a letter from the company explaining the reason for the denial - including the specific policy language which caused the denial.

•Don’t rush into a settlement.

If the first offer your insurance company makes does not meet your expectations, talk with your local insurance agent or seek other professional advice.

(See CLAIM on page 13)

Scam targets Wheatland customers Wheatland Electric is advising its customers they are being targeted by a telephone and e-mail scam.

Scammers contact Wheatland’s members, telling them that their electric bill is past due and unless it’s paid right away, their electricity will be disconnected. They often ask the member for a credit card number or instruct the member to immediately purchase a prepaid card, such as MoneyPak, and send the number to the caller.

These types of calls or emails are often difficult to detect prior to

answering the call or opening the email because the scammers can make Wheatland’s name appear in the caller ID or in the email address Recently, a Wheatland member in the Great Bend area was contacted by phone by a scammer claiming to be from Sunflower Electric, Wheatland’s wholesale provider. The member was asked the amount of her electric bill and was told that she needed to pay one third of the bill immediately to avoid being disconnected.

The member was then instructed to go to a local

convenience store and wire money to an account number.

Wheatland is issuing the following reminders to help keep its members from being a victim of a scam: •Wheatland never contacts a member by phone to demand immediate payment or threaten disconnection of service.

•In addition, Wheatland never dictates how a member’s bill is paid. Method of payment is up to the customer.

•Disconnection procedures usually take place over several weeks and after two contacts with the member. When a meter is

disconnected, it is done during business hours, and Wheatland employees always identify themselves.

•Sunflower is a wholesale electric provider and does not have end-use members and, therefore, will never contact a member regarding an electric bill.

•Never give out personal information, credit card number, or MoneyPak number during unsolicited phone calls or emails.

Those who get a suspicious email or phone call should contact their local Wheatland office at 1-800-762-0436 or 620872-5885.

The Scott County Record • Page 13 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

AG Schmidt: don’t send us Guantanamo detainees

Top prosecutors in three states being assessed as potential future homes for Guantanamo Bay detainees implored the Obama administration on Wednesday not to send the prisoners to their states.

In the letter, attorneys general from Colorado, and South Kansas Carolina said that bringing detainees to their areas

“will create imminent danger” and make “targets” out of the communities where they are placed.

Closing the detention center has been a top priority for Obama, and a Defense Department team has surveyed seven sites in Colorado, South Carolina and Kansas that could be the next address for some of the 107 detain-

County Commission November 10, 2015 Scott County Commissioners met in a regular meeting with the following present: Chairman James Minnix, Commissioners Jerry Buxton and Gary Skibbe; and County Clerk Alice Brokofsky.

•Kent Hill, regional director of Compass Behavioral Health, and Scott County Health Director Dana Shapland discussed the proposal of moving Compass, the county health department, Russell Child Development Center and Scott County Emergency Management into the old medical clinic. Hill and Shapland have toured the building and agree the facility would work for all the entities.

The facility would need upgrading and redesigned to accommodate for office space and security.

Hill and Shapland are to look at blueprints and determine a design that will work for all entities. Hill informed the commission there are several grants they are applying for to assist in upgrading the facility.

•Emergency Management Director Larry Turpin presented the new five year plan for emergency management operations. Turpin also said furnishings are needed for a command center in the basement at the Law Enforcement Center in the event of a disaster.

Commissioners will tour the facility before equipment is purchased.

•The following bids were opened for a dozer for the road department.

Foley Equipment 2015 Caterpillar D6N Track $244,870 Less trade-in of $23,500 Total: $221,370 Buyback 6 years or 3,000 hours Net after trade and buyback: $111,140 2016 Caterpillar D6N -4F Track Less trade-in of $23,500 Total: $236,140 Buyback at 6 years or 3,000 hours Net after trade and buyback: Murphy Tractor 2016 John Deere Crawler Dozer Less trade-in of $37,500 Total: $224,921 Buyback 6 years or 3,000 hours Net after trade and buyback: Berry Tractor 2014 used Komatsu D65ex-17 Less trade-in of $12,000 Buyback 6 years or 3,000 hours Net after trade and buyback: 2015/2016 Komatsu D65ex-18 Less trade-in of $12,000 Buyback 6 years or 3,000 hours Net after trade and buyback:

$259,640

$105,370

$262,421

$79,921

$237,800

$130,000 $273,200

$150,000

No action was taken until the bids could be reviewed.

•The following road permits were approved and signed: Lario Oil and Gas: entrance to well site. S22, T17S, R33W. Lario Oil and Gas: entrance to well site. S9, T17S, R31W. •Public Works Director Richard Cramer gave an update of the well being drilled near the county shop.

Cement has been poured for the tank. Commissioners informed Richard to blow in the insulation for the new building. Faurot Heating and Cooling submitted a bid of $2,309.70 for a heater in the building. It was accepted.

•Monica Beeson was appointed to the board of the Northwest Local Environmental Protection Group board and James Minnix as an alternate.

•Approval was given to issue a $9,600 check to Park Lane Nursing Home for September and October assistance from the Zella Carpenter Fund.

ees currently housed at Guantanamo Bay. The closure effort has faced hurdles, including opposition among both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

Governors have also made their own pleas to the Obama administration.

Last week, Gov. Sam Brownback said that

Abuse trees. I put ropes from trees for them to swing on to go into the pond. Is that safe?” Knox said, alluding to his 13 children.

“I don’t want to say that. Kids get hurt, kids get killed. It’s terrible, but you’ve got to live a childhood, too. So where do you draw that line?”

Sen. Laura Kelly (D-Topeka) also said she had questions about the change.

Guantanamo should continue to hold suspected terrorists indefinitely because the U.S. is in a war with terrorism “for some time to come.” Like the attorneys general, he said moving prisoners from Guantanamo will compromise the nation’s security and harm its troops.

(continued from page 12)

“I wanted them to give me some clear-cut examples of what difference it would have made in certain cases. She (Gilmore) just glosses over everything like it’s no big deal,” Kelly said.

Separately, Gilmore acknowledged DCF continues to have issues recruiting and retaining social workers. She said the agency is looking at ways to award longevity with the agency.

Public Notice (First published in The Scott County Record Thurs., Nov. 5, 2015; last published Thurs., Nov. 19, 2015)3t IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SCOTT COUNTY, KANSAS JOHN FAIRLEIGH, PLAINTIFF, VS. KANSAS DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE, DIVISION OF MOTOR VEHICLES, TITLE AND REGISTRATION, KANSAS STATE HIGHWAY PATROL, 1971 PLYMOUTH, VIN RS23U1G177403, UNKNOWN OWNERS, HEIRS, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, DEVISEES, TRUSTEES, CREDITORS, AND ASSIGNS OF ANY DECEASED OWNER; THE UNKNOWN OFFICERS, SUCCESSORS, TRUSTEES, CREDITORS, AND ASSIGNS OF ANY OWNER WHICH ARE EXISTING, DISSOLVED OR OF DORMANT CORPORATIONS; THE UNKNOWN EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, DEVISEES, TRUSTEES, CREDITORS, SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS OF ANY OWNERS WHO ARE OR WERE PARTNERS OR IN PARTNERSHIP; THE UNKNOWN GUARDIANS, CONSERVATORS AND TRUSTEES OF ANY OWNERS WHO ARE MINORS OR ARE UNDER LEGAL DISABILITY OF ANY KIND; AND THE UNKNOWN HEIRS, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, DEVISEES, TRUSTEES, CREDITORS, AND ASSIGNS OF ANY OWNERS ALLEGED TO BE DECEASED, DEFENDANTS. No. 15-CV-31 NOTICE OF SUIT THE STATE OF KANSAS AND THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS, AND ALL OTHER PERSONS WHO

ARE OR MAY BE CONCERNED: You Are Hereby Notified that a Petition has been filed in the District Court of Scott County, Kansas, by John Fairleigh of Scott City, Kansas, praying for an order quieting all interest of the Defendants in the following described property: 1971 PLYMOUTH, VIN RS23U1G177403 The Plaintiff further seeks an order holding the Plaintiff be the owner of the above personal property, free of all right, title and interest of the above named Defendants, and all other persons who are or may be concerned, and that they and each of them be forever barred and foreclosed from all right and title, interest, lien, estate or equity in or to the above described personal property, or any part thereof, directing the Kansas Highway Patrol complete a MVE-1 inspection of the vehicle and that the Kansas Department of Revenue issue a Certificate of Title to the vehicle in the above vehicle identification number, naming Plaintiff as owner.

You Are Hereby Required to answer the petition or otherwise plead or defend within 41 days after the date this notice was first published, in the District Court of Scott County, Kansas or the petition will be taken as true, and judgment, will be rendered accordingly.

JOHN FAIRLEIGH PLAINTIFF JAKE W. BROOKS Attorney at law 101 E. 6th, P.O. Box 664 Scott City, Kansas 67871 (620) 872-7204 Attorney for Plaintiff

Dozens of sheriffs in Colorado have also written the administration, saying detainee movement would endanger citizens.

A White House report is expected soon assessing the feasibility of using the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks and Midwest Joint Regional Corrections Facility at Leavenworth,

Claim •Document auto/homeowners temporary repairs.

Auto and homeowners policies might require you to make temporary repairs to protect your property from further damage.

Your policy should cover the cost of these temporary repairs, so keep all receipts.

Also, document any damaged personal property for an adjuster to inspect. If possible, take photographs or videotape the damage before making the repairs.

•Don’t make permanent repairs.

A company might deny a claim if you make permanent repairs before the damage is inspected. If possible, determine what it will cost to repair your property before you meet with an adjuster. Provide the adjuster any records of

Kansas; the Consolidated Naval Brig, in Hanahan, South Carolina; the Federal Correctional Complex, which includes the medium, maximum and supermax facilities in Florence, Colorado; and the Colorado State Penitentiary II in Canon City, Colorado, also known as the Centennial Correctional Facility.

(continued from page 12)

improvements you made to the property, and ask him/her for an itemized explanation of the claim settlement offer.

Seek accident and health claims details. Ask your medical provider to give your insurance company details about your treatment, condition and prognosis. If you suspect your provider is overcharging, ask the insurance company to audit the bill, and verify whether the provider used the proper billing procedure.

If you continue to have a dispute with your insurance company about the amount or terms of the claims settlement, contact the KID Consumer Assistance Hotline (1-800-432-2484) or go to the website, www.ksinsurance.org, to file an online complaint.

Supporters gear up for ‘aid in dying’ fight

Fresh off a political triumph in California, the nation’s chief advocacy group for physicianassisted suicide laws is mobilizing for many more battles on behalf of terminally ill patients.

Since Gov. Jerry Brown signed California’s end-of-life options bill last month, a new chapter is starting for Compassion and Choices, a Denver-based nonprofit that led the campaign for the measure and has pushed for such laws for nearly 19 years.

California is the fifth state to allow physicians to prescribe lethal doses of drugs to patients who want to end their lives in their last stages of terminal illnesses.

Aid-in-dying bills were introduced this year in 23 state legislatures - including Kansas - up from four last year.

Contributions and grants reached $17.1 million in the 2013-14 fiscal year.

The shift in statehouse sentiment is powered by polls measuring a sizeable boost in public support for doctors helping terminally ill patients die - 68 percent favored it in 2015, a 17-point swing in two years, according to Gallup.

Timeline of benefits to quit smoking

Thanks to increased awareness and research, smoking rates have dropped from 42% of adults in 1965 to about 16.8% in 2014.

Still, about 42 million adults currently smoke cigarettes, and tobacco remains a major killer, responsible for nearly one in five deaths in the United States, and at least 30% of all cancer deaths.

Studies show 70% of smokers want to quit. Below is a timeline of the benefits of quitting: 20 minutes: Your heart rate and blood pressure drop.

12 hours: The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal.

2 weeks to 3 months: circulation improves and lung function increases.

1 to 9 months: Coughing and shortness of breath decrease; cilia start to regain normal function in the lungs, increasing the ability to clean the lungs and reduce infection.

1 year: The excess risk of coronary heart disease is reduced by half 5 years: Risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and bladder are cut in half. Stroke risk can fall to that of a nonsmoker after 2-5 years.

10 years: The risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a person who is still smoking. The risk of cancer of the larynx (voice box) and pancreas decreases.

15 years: The risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s.

The Scott County Record • Page 14 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Kansas lawmakers want more scrutiny of foster care contractors Andy Marso Kansas Health Institute

The Kansas Department for Children and Families announced major changes to its standards for substantiating child abuse Tuesday. But lawmakers want more reform of a privatized foster care system they say is failing to protect children.

DCF Secretary Phyllis Gilmore announced that the agency will begin using a “preponderance of the evidence” as the standard for substantiating a child abuse claim rather than the more

stringent “clear and convincing evidence.”

The change comes after the Wichita Eagle and Topeka Capital-Journal reported on children who were injured or died after multiple reports of abuse.

Gilmore noted that Kansas is the only state using the “clear and convincing evidence” standard. The change will make it easier for state investigators to place people suspected of child abuse on a registry that prohibits their employment at child care facilities.

The agency also added a

Children are not a legislative priority and this committee faces an impossible task to find solutions to intractable, long-term problems which finally culminated in the horrendous death of two children.

- State Rep. Mike Kiegerl (R-Olathe)

category between unsubstantiated and substantiated - “affirmed” - that will describe cases in which abuse or neglect are believed to have happened but not to a level severe enough to bring a substantiated finding.

Prosecutors seeking to bring criminal abuse charges still will have to prove guilt beyond a “reasonable doubt,” and only judges can remove

the custody rights of children’s legal guardians.

The changes were announced during a hearing of a special legislative committee formed to vet the state’s foster care system.

The Capital-Journal’s reporting focused on Mekhi Boone, a four-year-old Hiawatha boy who was beaten to death after DCF and (See FOSTER on page 15)

Adult care facilities wary of KanCare reimbursement change Andy Marso Kansas Health Institute

Groups that represent Kansas adult care facilities say a change to their Medicaid reimbursement calculations is not ideal, but they’ll accept it if it resolves payment issues caused by the state’s switch to privatized managed care.

Rhonda Boose, an official with the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, brought the changes to a legislative committee

on rules and regulations for review this week.

The changes modify how adult care facilities are reimbursed for care for Medicaideligible residents. The facilities receive different rates depending on the medical needs of the residents with Medicaid, which in Kansas is called KanCare.

The state currently recalculates those rates four times a year to adjust for changes in each facility’s population. The proposed regulation

would trim that to twice a year, which Boose said could reduce overhead costs.

“It is anticipated the changes will allow for a more streamlined rate-setting process, making the overall KanCare rate-setting procedure more efficient, accurate and less burdensome,” Boose said. “Any savings or additional costs will be borne by KDADS. There will be no additional costs to Medicaid recipients or other government agencies.”

Behavioral health important to one’s overall well-being Jim Rodenbeek SCF Healthcare Committee

The next time you visit your doctor, glance around the waiting room.

Of the 10 people reading the old magazines, seven are there to seek care for issues related to behavioral health. They might have symptoms of depression, anxiety or other mental health conditions.

They might need to change behaviors to manage chronic diseases such as diabetes or cardiac conditions. They might have a drinking or drug use problem that is affecting their health and relationships. They might want to lose weight or to quit smoking.

Regardless of the reason for the office visit, doctors can assume that most of their patients will have both physical and behavioral health issues.

“Behavioral health” often is used to describe the connection between our behaviors and the health and well-being of the body, mind and spirit. This includes behaviors such as eating habits, drinking, or exercising that either immediately or

over time impact physical or mental health.

It can also include broader factors such as having to live in an area with high pollution or experiencing high levels of stress over a long period of time.

Some of these behaviors are under our individual control.

However, sometimes our choices are limited by factors beyond our immediate control.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the term “behavioral health” almost entirely referred to behaviors that prevent illness or that promote health.

Later, it was also used to indicate behaviors that help people manage illnesses, especially chronic conditions.

More recently, the term has incorporated mental health as well.

Many mental health conditions develop largely from biological factors, such as genetic makeup and brain chemistry.

Other conditions are related to experiences or environments in which they occur. Medications and psychological counseling treatment (See BEHAVIOR on page 15)

Enroll in the

Medicare Prescription Plan Now through December 7th

Contact Brandy Heim at (620) 872-5811, extension 618 to schedule an appointment for assistance with enrollment.

This is a free service courtesy of SCOTT COUNTY HOSPITAL Leading You To A Healthy Future

Sen. Vicki Schmidt (R-Topeka) asked Boose if the agency discussed the changes with adult care facility administrators.

Boose said organizations like LeadingAge Kansas, which represents nonprofit adult care facilities, and the Kansas Health Care Association (KHCA), which represents for-profit facilities, were involved in the discussion from the beginning.

(See KANCARE on page 15)

The Scott County Record • Page 15 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Foster one of the state’s foster care contractors placed him with his father.

Kaddillak Poe-Jones, a Wichita infant who died in a hot car after the foster parents she was placed with forgot her, also was mentioned during hearing.

Privatized System After Gilmore’s announcement, legislators suggested the foster care system still needs a deeper look.

Democrats pushed for an audit of the system in July, but it narrowly failed when five Republicans voted it down. At Tuesday’s hearing, though, the majority party members expressed serious concerns as well.

“The kind of system we’ve created isn’t working,” said Sen. Julia Lynn, a Republican from Olathe.

The foster care system has been privatized since 1997 and DCF now works with two contractors, KVC Behavioral

Behavior (continued from page 14)

such as cognitive behavioral therapy can help.

Sometimes, changes in behaviors by the individual, family or even the community and changes in thinking patterns can help people better cope with their mental health conditions.

In Scott City, we are lucky to have the Compass Behavioral Health Center. They are the service center for Lane, Scott, Wichita and Greeley counties. Each of these counties donates a mill levy to provide this important health service.

Thanks to their foresight no one is ever turned away. Payment is based on one’s ability to pay.

They provide quality and professional services to help people achieve optimal social and emotional well-being.

Compass, which has served Southwest Kansas since 1961, was built on a foundation of compassion. The team consists of psychiatrists, qualified mental health therapists, advanced practice registered nurses, and other qualified staff to provide services.

You can contact them any time at 620-872-5338 to speak to someone about the comprehensive services that they offer.

Jim Rodenbeek is a member of the Scott Community Foundation Healthcare Committee.

For more information contact the Foundation at 872-3790

(continued from page 14)

Healthcare of Olathe and St. Francis Community Services of Salina.

In recent years the state has consistently set records for the number of Kansas children in foster care, topping 6,000 last year.

Rep. Willie Dove (R-Bonner Springs) expressed concerns that the numbers continue to burgeon under the privatized system.

Lynn said she requested information from staff about the cost to dismantle the system and have the state take over again but was told it was difficult to calculate because the Legislature never fully funded it prior to privatization.

The state currently pays the contractors about $280 million annually.

Lynn said the current contracts should be heavily scrutinized before they expire in 2017. Whether DCF stays with the current companies or enlists

others, she said the next resolution techniques, so contracts should require police are called in less more accountability. frequently.

Gilmore said her agenState Agency Scrutinized cy is short on trained DCF also faced scru- social workers. tiny from legislators and Lynn said blame law enforcement officials should extend to the legas the state agency that islative branch as well, oversees the contractors. telling the committee that Ed Klumpp, a lobby- the Legislature had “lost a ist who represents several collective will” to protect law enforcement groups, the “weakest of the weak” said local police and in the state. county sheriffs get little Her comments were help from DCF on calls echoed by Rep. Mike involving foster children Kiegerl (R-Olathe) especially after hours. who submitted written A phone line that is remarks. supposed to be staffed 24 Kiegerl criticized leghours a day is frequently not answered late at night, islative leaders for granthe said, and even when ing the special foster care it is, the help that can committee only one day be provided outside the of hearings, after its members requested five days.

Topeka area is minimal.

“Children are not a leg“When you go into islative priority,” Kiegerl a law enforcement conference and mention the said, “and this committee DCF hotline, eyes roll,” faces an impossible task Klumpp said. “We’ve got to find solutions to intractable, long-term problems to fix it.”

He said more foster par- which finally culminated ents need to be trained in in the horrendous death of de-escalation and conflict two children.”

KanCare “And do they have any angst over going to twice a year instead of four times a year?” Schmidt asked.

“No, because it really will not impact their reimbursement rate,” Boose said. “It’s to streamline the process. But by going to this, they should see some reduction in administrative costs, is what we’ve heard from them - that by not having to adjust their rates quarterly and their billing quarterly they should see some administrative savings.”

After Monday’s legislative meeting, officials with LeadingAge Kansas and KHCA said that’s not an accurate summary of their reactions to the change - or their involvement in the process.

Cindy Luxem, president and CEO of KHCA, said she had discussed the proposal with KDADS Secretary Kari Bruffett but had no conversations about it with Boose.

Luxem said some KHCA members she has surveyed are in favor of the change, but only because they hope it will lead to fewer billing problems with the three private insurance companies that took over Kansas

(continued from page 14)

Medicaid when it became KanCare in 2013.

“The managed care companies have not been able to pay correctly basically ever since managed care started, because they cannot figure out how to do these quarterly adjustments,” Luxem said. “But I do have some members, quite honestly, that are not real pleased with it.”

Debra Zehr, president and CEO of LeadingAge Kansas, said her members welcome efforts to reduce the administrative burden of KanCare, but a better solution would be to fix the deficiencies in the quarterly rate changes.

“Instead of streamlining or correcting issues in the way and length of time it took to make those quarterly adjustments, their solution was to simply not do it as frequently,” she said.

The billing problems that her members face date to the earliest days of KanCare, Zehr said.

Medicaid is public health insurance coverage jointly funded by the state and federal government.

It serves about 425,000 Kansans - mostly lowincome children, their parents, pregnant women and people with disabilities. It

also fills gaps in Medicare coverage for low-income, elderly Kansans.

Some Kansas Medicaid populations were under managed care prior to 2013, but national experts said the switch to KanCare was unprecedented in scope and speed.

Zehr said the private insurance companies’ struggle to maintain the quarterly rate changes was not foreseen.

She and Luxem said that if the state moves to twice-annual rate changes, their members risk taking a financial hit if their patient mix changes and they’re forced to care for costlier patients between rate adjustments.

Luxem said she’s waiting until a Dec. 15 public hearing to decide whether KHCA will formally back the change.

“I have not come to the total conclusion that we as an association will support it 100 percent,” she said.

“Even though we have expressed to the secretary of aging and disability services that we plan to support it at this time, since I told her that I’ve had a couple members tell us they do not want us to support it.”

Masonic Lodge soup supper in Scott City • Sat., Nov. 28 • 5:30 p.m.

Pastime at Park Lane The Pence Community Church led Sunday afternoon church services.

Residents played pitch and dominoes on Monday afternoon. Game helpers were Dorothy King, Wanda Kirk, Lynda Burnett, Joy Barnett, Hugh McDaniel and Madeline Murphy. Dorothy King furnished cookies.

Residents played Wii bowling on Monday evening.

Pastor Bob Artz led Bible study on Tuesday morning. Doris Riner and Elsie Nagel led the hymns.

Russel and Mary Webster led Bible study on Tuesday evening.

Rev. Warren Prochnow led Lutheran Bible study on Wednesday morning.

Residents played pitch on Wednesday evening.

Manicures were given on Thursday morning.

Rev. Warren Prochnow led Lutheran services on Friday afternoon.

Residents made Dutch apple cake on Friday afternoon.

Honor 3 November birthdays

The United Methodist Women hosted the November birthday party on Wednesday afternoon.

Guests of honor were Clifford Dearden, Jake Leatherman and Dale Delay.

Golden Rule Preschool students sang several Thanksgiving songs. Everyone was served pumpkin crumble cake.

Hostesses were Joyce Schmitt, Dora Mae Bowman, Dorothy Spitzer, Thelma Miller, Kami Rosin, Celia Fouser, Ann Hawkins, Arlene Cauthon, Irene Snow, Barbara Hutchins, Kari Talbert, Lois Modlin, Marilyn Dryer and Joy Barton.

Turkeys are craft day project

The Immanuel Baptist Church hosted crafts on Tuesday afternoon. Residents made Thanksgiving turkeys.

Joy Barnett and Mandy Barnett were volunteer helpers. Joy furnished the refreshments.

‘Over 50 Chorus’ entertains

The Over 50 Chorus performed on Thursday afternoon. Singers were Neva Jacobus, Dora Mae Bowman, Madeline Murphy, Marilyn Dryer, Dorothy Milburn, and Melva Knight.

Thanks to the Pioneer 4-H Club for making the autumn centerpieces for the dining room tables.

Dale Delay was visited by Devin and Dawn

Deaths

Hutchins and Nancy Holt.

Corrine Dean was visited by Dianna Howard, Aaron and Mandy Kropp, Poodle Ortiz and Nancy Holt.

The Scott County Record • Page 16 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Lowell Rudolph was visited by LuAnn Buehler, Michael J., Jon Buehler, Tom and Kathy Moore, Rev. Don Martin, Chuck Kirk, and Joel and Connie Bryan.

James Still and Mike Leach were visited by Linda Dunagan and Rev. Don Martin from St. Luke’s Church.

Dona Dee Carpenter was visited by Larry LaPlant and Gloria O’Bleness.

Dottie Fouquet was visited by Jon and Anne Crane, Mark Fouquet and Fritzie Rauch.

Delores Brooks was visited by Nancy Holt, Charles Brooks, Cheryl Perry and Fritzi Rauch.

Lawana Rothers was visited by Gene and Von Dyne Williamson.

Pat Lawrence was visited by Marilyn Waters, Kelsie Conard and Kelsie’s friend, Karli.

Nella Funk was visited

by Brandon Roberts, Izaac Miller, Cody Turner, Nancy Holt, Mary Lou Oeser and Karen Harms.

Sr. Citizen Lunch Menu

Lena Rachel Farr Russell

Week of November 23-27 Monday: Chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, Lena Rachel Farr Rus- two daughters, Roberta broccoli, whole wheat bread, cinnamon apple slices.

sell, 90, died Nov. 14, 2015, at High Plains Retirement Village, Lakin.

S h e was born on April 30, 1925, in Logan County, the daughter Lena Russell of James Wiey and Ida Elizabeth (Patton) Farr.

Lena was a member of the Baptist faith and a member of the Scott Community until 2006.

On Feb. 6, 1941, she married Orval E. Russell in Campus. He died on May 7, 2001.

Survivors include: two sons, Richard Russell, Holcomb, and Roger Russell, Pennsylvania;

LeClair, Garden City, and Tuesday: Chili and crackers, carrots, cinnamon roll, Monica Schwab, Maine; 16 grandchildren and 20 mixed fruit. great-grandchildren.

Wednesday: Oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes She was preceded in and gravy, brussel sprouts, whole wheat roll, strawberdeath by one daughter, ries and bananas.

Barbara Green; one son, Thursday: Closed for Thanksgiving.

Myron Russell; six sisters, Friday: Closed for Thanksgiving. five brothers and three meals are $3.25 • call 872-3501 grandsons.

Funeral service was held Nov. 18 at Price and Have questions about the Scott Sons Funeral Home, Scott Community Foundation?

City. call 872-3790 or e-mail julie@scottcf.org Interment was at the Scott County Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to the Lena Russell Memorial Fund in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, 620 N. Main St., Garden City, Ks. 67846.

E-condolences may be given at www.priceandsons.com.

Luella B. Erskin Luella B. Erskin, 85, died Nov. 17, 2015, at Park Lane Nursing Home, Scott City.

S h e was born on Jan. 7, 1930, in Scott City, the daughter of John Luella Erskin and Hilda (Koch) Wiechman.

Luella was a resident of Scott City from 1930 until 1954, moving to North Dakota and then back to Scott City in 1970. She was a homemaker.

She was a member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church and the VFW Auxiliary, both of Scott City.

On Dec. 31, 1949, she married Elmer Erskin in Scott City. He survives.

Other survivors include: one son, Harold Erskin, and wife, Susan, Mulvane; three daughters, Shirley Rogers, and husband, Dan, Valley Center, Sandra Kahl, and husband, Rick, and Sharon Powers,

and husband, David, all of Scott City; two brothers, Gerald Wiechman, and wife, Joyce, and Donald Wiechman and wife, Marlo, all of Scott City; two sisters, Lavera King and Velda Riddiough, and husband, Milt, all of Scott City; nine grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by two brothers, Marvin Wiechman and Martin Wiechman, and one sister, Geneva Faurot.

Funeral service will be held Fri., Nov. 20, 2:00 p.m., at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Scott City, with Pastor Warren Prochnow officiating.

Interment will be at the Scott County Cemetery.

Memorials may be given to Holy Cross Lutheran Church or Park Lane Nursing Home in care of Price and Sons Funeral Home, 401 S. Washington St., Scott City, Ks. 67871.

E-condolences may be given at www.priceandsons.com.

by Jason Storm

Thelma Branine was visited by Kirk and Tami Chavez.

Yvonne Spangler was visited by Les and Mary Ann Spangler.

LaVera King was visited by Shirley Rogers from Valley Center, Velda Riddiough, Donnie and Marlo Wiechman, Shellie Carter, Carol Latham, Gloria Gough, Kirk and Tami Chavez, and Randy King.

Cecile Billings was visited by Ann Beaton, Linda Dunagan and Delinda Dunagan.

Arlene Beaton was visited by Colleen Beaton and Nancy Holt.

Kathy Roberts was visited by Brandon Roberts, Cody Turner, Nancy Holt, Karen Harms and Mary Lou Oeser.

Boots Haxton was visited by Rod and Kathy Haxton.

Emogene Harp was visited by Margie Stevens and Nancy Holt.

Bonnie Pickett was visited by Gloria Wright, Margie Stevens, and Larry and Philene Pickett.

Lorena Turley was visited by Karen Harms, Mary Lou Oeser, Chris Cupp, Rex Turley and Neta Wheeler.

Albert Dean was visited by Margie Stevens, Mary Lou Oeser and Karen Harms.

Jake Leatherman was visited by Virgil Kuntz.

Geraldine Graves was visited by Tania Hermosillo.

Elmer Erskin was visited by Don and Shirley Rogers from Valley Center; Mindy, Haley and Cole Allen; Matt and Becca Brummett from Kansas City; Mitchell, Janie and Charlotte Binns from Manhattan; David and Sharon Powers, Eileen Powers, Sandy Kahl; Leasha, Dawson and Piper Fox; Ryan, Beth, Nick, Zoey and Nathan Powers from Garden City; Lonny, Colleen and Krissa Dearden; Harold Erskin from Mulvane; Velda Riddiough, Kayla Dearden, Donnie and Marlo Wiechman; and Johnathan Simons from Haysville.

The Scott County Record • Page 17 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Ornamentals a nice addition to any landscape Ornamental grasses can really catch a person’s eye in the fall. The way the morning and evening light glitters through the seedheads is just beautiful.

Never before have there been so many varieties of ornamental grasses from which to choose.

Breeders are selecting for landscape performance, foliage color, seed head size and plant size.

I think the most interesting feature of most ornamental grasses is the seed head, but foliage color is a close second.

There are some newer varieties with deep purple leaves and names like “Hot Rod,” “Fireworks” and “Heavy Metal” for the K-State fans in the area.

Versatile is the word of choice for this category of plants. They can take tough sites, full sun and little nutrients or water (once established). Many are very tall and can screen unsightly features in the landscape, while others are short like the variety “Little Bunny.”

There are really only three simple things to remember about growing ornamental grasses in your landscape: planting time, trimming time and division time.

Planting Time Planting time is most of the year except for winter.

Plant once the danger of frost has passed in the spring, up until the end of September.

If you plant them any later than that, it’s really too late. They don’t have adequate time to establish a strong root system and are in real danger of dying when cold weather hits.

Better to wait until your investment can grow enough during the growing season to survive the winter (which they do very well, they just need time to establish).

Trimming Time Here is my opinion about trimming time. One of the main attributes of a lot of ornamental grass is their seedheads.

They certainly look their best right now, but they will also continue to look great for the next six months or so. This is their time to shine, as winter interest is a main feature of ornamental grasses.

Therefore, I would rec-

ommend not cutting them back until February or March as winter is ending and spring is beginning.

I have seen far too many grasses cut back in their prime when it’s absolutely not needed.

Grasses need to be trimmed to 6-8 inches in the spring in order to let the fresh new growth get through the old biomass.

Trimming ornamental grasses requires gloves, long sleeves and serious tools.

If your grasses are really big, like Pampas Grass, you might even want a chainsaw and chaps. With smaller varieties, you can probably get away with pruners or hedge trimmers.

Compost all that good biomass for organic matter later in the year.

Division Time Division time is another time for heavy duty tools. Every 3-4 years it’s a good idea to divide most ornamental grasses. By then, the center may start to die out and the plants begin to look somewhat unattractive as a clump.

Tools to divide grass clumps can range from shovels to saws to axes and maybe even a machete might come in handy.

Dig those plants out, divide them and redistribute them to family members and friends or even just give them away.

Attend the Church of Your Choice

Living the Talk John was dressed like the prophets of old and not that but, as for me, I personally have been given an as the priests of the day plus he had a very simple diet, exemption.” it was kosher by the way, and, some claim, quite tasty.

John told people things that they knew in their inI passed on the opportunity that had been presented nermost being that God desired of all of us and he had some years ago to sample that particular dietary item. the voice of authenticity closely coupled to consisIt is clear that John’s ministry was quite effective tency. because the people flocked out to listen to him and The Jews, interestingly enough, also had a saying: submit to his call for the baptism signifying repentance.

“If Israel would only keep the law of God perfectly for He was living his message 24/7. He was not one of one day the kingdom of God would come.” So when the Sabbath day saints that shed his saintliness during John recommended real repentance he was confrontthe rest of the week when it might interfere with his ing them all with a decision that they already knew, “secular” business dealings. within their innermost being, they ought to make.

There are many who talk about not laying up for Since the Spirit of God is now available to every yourselves treasures on earth while making sure they genuine follower of the Holy One of God, Messiah keep a sizeable bank account. However, make no misJesus, what could happen if we all relied on Him to take; the large bank account is not a problem if it is empower us to keep the commands of The Christ perproperly employed for God’s glory and kingdom. fectly for just one day?

There are those who are possessed by a big comMark 1:7 And preached, saying, There cometh one fortable home and extol the blessings of poverty (for mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I others). In the case of John it was quite clear he peram not worthy to stoop down and unloose. sonified the message and showed the people, “This 1:8 - I indeed have baptized you with water: but He is the way to please God” rather than, “If you want to shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. please God then you must do this and you must do Pastor Ward Clinton Church of the Nazarene, Scott City

Scott City Assembly of God

Prairie View Church of the Brethren

1615 South Main - Scott City - 872-2200 Ed Sanderson, Senior Pastor 9:00 a.m. - Pre-Service Prayer 10:00 a.m. - Sunday Worship Service and Children’s Church Wednesday: 7:00 p.m. - Bible Study and Prayer

4855 Finney-Scott Rd. - Scott City - 276-6481 Pastor Jon Tuttle Sunday School: 10:00 a.m.

Morning Worship: 11:00 a.m.

Men’s Fellowship • Tuesday breakfast at 6:30 a.m.

Held at Precision Ag Bldg. west of Shallow Water Wednesday Bible Study, 7:00 p.m., at the church

St. Joseph Catholic Church

Holy Cross Lutheran Church

A Catholic Christian Community 1002 S. Main Street - Scott City Fr. Bernard Felix, pastor • 872-7388 Secretary • 872-3644 Masses: 1st Sunday of month - 8:30 and 11:00 a.m.

Other weekends: Sat., 6:00 p.m.; Sun., 11:00 a.m.

Spanish Mass - 2nd and 4th Sundays, 1:30 p.m.

1102 Court • Box 283 • Scott City 620-872-2294 • 620-872-3796 Pastor Warren Prochnow holycross-scott@sbcglobal.net Sunday School/Bible Class, 9:00 a.m.

Worship every Sunday, 10:15 a.m.

Wed.: Mid-Week School, 6:00-7:30 p.m.

Pence Community Church

Community Christian Church

8911 W. Road 270 10 miles north on US83; 2 miles north on K95; 9 miles west on Rd. 270 Don Williams, pastor • 874-2031 Wednesdays: supper (6:30 p.m.) • Kid’s Group and Adult Bible Study (7:00 p.m.) • Youth Group (8:00 p.m.)

Sunday School: 9:30 • Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m.

12th & Jackson • Scott City • 872-3219 Shelby Crawford, pastor Sunday School, 9:30 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship, 10:45 a.m.

Wednesday Night Bible Study, 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday: God’s High School Cru, 7:30 p.m.

First Baptist Church

Immanuel Southern Baptist Church

803 College - Scott City - 872-2339

1398 S. US83 - Scott City - 872-2264

Kyle Evans, Senior Pastor Bob Artz, Associate Pastor

Robert Nuckolls, pastor - 872-5041

Sunday School, 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:45 a.m. • Worship: 11:00 a.m.

Sunday morning worship: 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.

Wednesday Bible Study, 7:00 p.m.

Gospel Fellowship Church 120 S. Lovers Lane - Shallow Water Larry Taylor, pastor Sunday School: 9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship: 10:30 a.m.

1st United Methodist Church 5th Street and College - Scott City - 872-2401 John Lewis, pastor 1st Sunday: Communion and Fellowship Sunday Services at 9:00 a.m. • Sunday School, 10:30 a.m.

All Other Sundays • Worship: 8:30 and 10:45 a.m.

Sunday School: 9:30 a.m. • MYF (youth groups) on Wednesdays Jr. High: 6:30 p.m. • Sr. High: 7:00 p.m.

First Christian Church

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church

701 Main - Scott City - 872-2937 Scotty Wagner, pastor Sunday School, 9:30 a.m.; Worship, 10:45 a.m.

Wednesday is Family Night Meal: 5:45 p.m. • Study: 6:15 p.m.

Website: www.fccscottcity.org

Elizabeth/Epperson Drives • Scott City • 872-3666 Father Don Martin Holy Eucharist - 11:45 a.m.

St. Luke’s - 872-5734 (recorded message) Senior Warden Bill Lewis • 872-3347 or Father Don Martin - (785) 462-3041

Scott Mennonite Church

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

12021 N. Eagle Rd. • Scott City

9th and Crescent - Scott City - 872-2334 Bishop Irvin Yeager • 620-397-2732 Sacrament, 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School, 10:50 a.m.

Relief Society and Priesthood, 11:20 a.m.

YMYW Wednesday, 8:00 p.m.

Franklin Koehn: 872-2048 Charles Nightengale: 872-3056 Sunday School Worship Service: 10:00 a.m.

Sunday Evening Service: 7:00 p.m.

Moving? Contact The Scott County Record to update your address, so you don’t miss your paper.

P.O. Box 377, Scott City, Ks. 67871 • 620-872-2090 • www.scottcountyrecord.com

The Scott County Record • Page 18 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Youngsters who have reached 200 to 1,200 book milestones in the Scott County Library’s “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” reading program are:

Top readers of the week AmmahRey Haverfield • 200

Shalyn Radke 400

Avery Eggleston 500

Government efficiency group meets with school superintendents

Members of the consulting group conducting an efficiency study of state government recently met with superintendents of several school districts to talk about purchasing practices and then later requested extensive health benefits information.

One of the superintendents who attended the meeting, Sue Givens, of El Dorado USD 490, said she thought the meeting was conducted in a positive manner.

Givens said she felt that by the end of the meeting the consultants were impressed with the efficiency measures districts utilize in the procurement process. And, she said, she believed the

consultants gained more understanding about the diversity of school districts in Kansas.

Legislative leaders have contracted with Alvarez and Marsal for a $2.6 million efficiency study. The group is scheduled to issue a report in January.

The meeting between members of the A&M team and school superintendents was held in late October at the Kansas State Department of Education. In addition, superintendents from Shawnee Mission USD 512, Wichita USD 259, Pittsburg USD 250, Meade USD 226, Royal Valley USD 337, Basehor Linwood USD 458, and

Backlash in?” Barker said, warning he didn’t want to see the university pursue “postmodern indoctrination.”

Angela De Rocha, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services, mocked the idea in the same thread, calling it “‘re-education’ training” and warning that “anyone who demurs will be guilty of Thoughtcrime.”

The activists’ demands and the negative reaction coincide with a national debate about racism and free speech on college campuses in recent weeks.

Members of the Invisible Hawk group argued that hate speech should not be considered free speech.

“First of all, I don’t have free speech. Let’s just be real with that. We don’t have free speech,” said Caleb Stephens, a member of the group who

Plainville USD 270 were there.

Givens said several days after the meeting, A&M requested health insurance benefits information from some 30 school districts. She said the consultants are looking to see if there are ways that districts can save money in their health plans.

In a recent briefing to a legislative committee, Melissa Glynn, a representative of A&M, said one area the consultants were looking at was whether there are more opportunities for school districts to secure federal funds. But Givens said that subject wasn’t discussed at the meeting she attended.

(continued from page nine)

graduated from KU in 2014. “Because if we said some of the things that people say we would be - anything, just insert any negative thing that would happen from getting hate mail to death threats.”

“If free speech was really free speech this would be a different conversation,” he said.

Stephens, who works as a therapist, said that emotional trauma inflicted through speech can sometimes affect a person longer than physical trauma. Among the demands the group has made is that the university establish a team of multicultural counselors to address the mental health needs of students of color.

“You can have your opinion,” said Rainey, who is studying psychology and anthropology.

“You can think whatever you want, but when your opinion infringes on oth-

USD 466 Lunch Menu Week of November 23-27 Breakfast Monday: Whole grain cereal, sausage patty, diced pears, fruit juice. *Pizza Hut at SCHS. Tuesday: Glazed long john, fresh oranges, fruit juice.

Wednesday: No school.

Thursday: No school.

Friday: No school.

Lunch Monday: Mighty rib on a bun, *pigs in a blanket, baked chips, green beans, vanilla pudding, banana.

Tuesday: Turkey and dressing, potatoes and gravy, green peas, cranberry sauce, dinner roll, pumpkin pie.

Wednesday: No school.

Thursday: No school.

Friday: No school. *second choice at SCMS and SCHS

ers’ rights and it harms someone, it is wrong. And that is unacceptable.”

Micah Kubic, executive director of the Kansas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that hate speech is covered by the First Amendment unless a threat is explicitly made.

“If you threaten to harm someone that is not necessarily protected,” Kubic said. “Simply using a racial slur or using other hateful speech, speech that we consider wrong and inappropriate . . . can still be protected speech.”

While freedom of speech allows a person to say hateful things, he said, “it also means that we are allowed to respond to those things.”

Kubic said he saw no problem with the inclusivity training as long as it is not coupled with a speech code.

Patrick Goode 600

Devon Dreiling 800

Aaren Radke 1,000

Drew Birney 1,200

for rent SCHS Band/Choir Students All proceeds benefit annual music trip •Raking leaves •Cleaning •Hanging decorations •Shoveling snow …and more

Contact SCHS Office 872-7620 or email Suzette Price • sprice@usd466.org Amanda Kennedy • akennedy@usd466.org

Sports a new attitude

Dynamic duo Football wins keep piling up for coaches O’Neil and Turner • Page 26

The Scott County Record

www.scottcountyrecord.com

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Page 19

McCormick hopes to turn around girl’s hoops

When Sarah McCormick talks about winning, she’s not just referring to what her players do on game night.

That’s a given.

The new Scott Community High School girl’s basketball coach is referring to everything the girls do during practice.

“I don’t care if the girl next to you is your best friend. I want you to try to beat her in every drill,” emphasized McCormick while huddling with her players following practice. “Don’t be satisfied with losing to her.

Don’t be satisfied with losing in anything.”

But McCormick knows she has a big challenge ahead of her as she tries to turn around a girl’s basketball program that hasn’t had a winning season since 2009-10 (13-8). The Lady Beavers are coming off three consecutive 3-18 seasons.

“I have to start by teaching the girls that anyone can win.

It’s an attitude that you have to develop,” says McCormick.

“I’ve been involved in a lot of games that we had no business winning because we were up against a better team, but we were able to win because my girls had the belief they could win.”

McCormick has competed at the highest levels as a player and as a graduate assistant.

While playing at Independence Community College she was on a national runner-up team her freshman season.

SCHS head coach Sarah McCormick explains how she wants her girls to position themselves defensively while working on drills during practice on Wednesday.

(Record Photo)

After one year at Eastern Illinois University, McCormick transferred to Emporia State University for her senior year and they advanced to the Division II Final Four. She remained with ESU for the next three seasons as a grad assistant under head coach Brandon Schneider who is now the head coach for the University of Kansas women.

“He taught me motivation, how to put practices together and how to see what’s happening on the floor in a way that’s a

lot different than when you’re a player,” says McCormick. “And he taught me strategy. It was an unbelievable experience to work with him.”

McCormick also gives a lot of credit to her former coach at Independence CC, Keitha Adams, who is now the head coach for the University of Texas-El Paso women.

“I’ve had some amazing coaches who have taught me a lot about the game,” she says.

Now she hopes to use that knowledge and experience to

elevate the SCHS girls’ program.

“I want the girls to learn what it means to be dedicated to something and to be invested in a program. If you don’t bring a serious attitude to practice, if you are satisfied with jogging the sprints, then you aren’t going to win the tough games because you haven’t invested enough of yourself,” says the head coach.

In the brief time she’s been able to work with the team, McCormick says the team has

shown a willingness to learn.

“They are very receptive to what I’m saying and they have great attitudes,” she says.

McCormick also emphasizes to her team that it’s to their advantage that she knows so little about them as players.

“Each of them has a clean slate. It’s up to each of them to decide what kind of impression they want to make,” she says.

“I remind them that I’m taking mental notes of how hard they run, how efficient they are on (See ATTITUDE on page 21)

Lady Bluejays get physical in win at GC Defense, rebounding are keys in extending win streak to 7 games

SCMS eighth grader Emily Weathers comes over the top for a rebound during Monday’s win at Garden City.

(Record Photo)

Being taller and more athletic than the opposition has helped stake the Scott City Middle School girls to a 7-0 record.

But head coach Shelby Crawford knows that against the better teams on their schedule they will need something extra if they hope 8th Grade 22 to extend their unbeaten Horace Good 9 streak.

“I’ve been emphasizing to the girls they need to be more physical,” says Crawford.

A lot of that attention has been focused on five-foot-nine Emily Weathers who leads the team in scoring (12.4 ppg) and rebounds (7.1 rpg).

“We’ve been spending a lot of time on rebounding position and getting physical,” says Crawford. “We are starting to see that pay off.”

It was a factor on Monday when the Lady Bluejays faced a tall and physical Horace Good Middle School squad at Garden City.

SCMS owned a 14-2 lead at the break and coasted to a 22-9 win.

“I felt we played one of our best games.

We didn’t shoot particularly well, but it was the most intense game we’ve played defensively,” Crawford says. “When you can hold a team of their caliber to just nine points that’s a pretty good night.”

SCMS got off to a slow start and didn’t hit the game’s first field goal until the 2:51 mark of the opening period. Horace Good’s only first half basket cut the lead to 8-2 early in (See PHYSICAL on page 21)

The Scott County Record • Page 20 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Black Friday drawing for cabin stay at state parks

Outdoors in Kansas by Steve Gilliland

Then there was Bob

We had stopped at the Atrium Hotel in Hutchinson where the North American Falconry Association (NAFA) national field meet was in full swing.

We were admiring the hawks and falcons tethered to their perches in the weathering yard, a fencedoff portion of the lawn where the birds rested during daylight when not out hunting.

Before us sat a menagerie of beautiful and remarkable birds; the Harris’ Hawks known to be the only social birds of prey that often hunt in groups in the wild; the Cooper’s Hawks, known as very fast aerial hunters that ambush their prey in mid-air; the Peregrine Falcons that climb to 1,000 feet or more and fly above their humans below, freefalling out of the sky to whack flushed game at speeds approaching 200 miles per hour, and the hardy, versatile and dependable Red Tail Hawks, which are very abundant here in the wild this time of year.

Then there was Bob, a young turkey vulture tethered to his perch in the front row.

Don’t get me wrong, turkey vultures are amazing birds and Bob was just as magnificent as the rest in his own way, but he was just a little outclassed.

Now everyone and everything has a story, and Bob is no different.

Falconers Mario and Brandi Nickerson run Natures Edge Wildlife Rescue near Ft. Worth Tex., specializing in reptiles and birds of prey.

About three weeks ago they began getting calls from local animal control about a turkey vulture in town.

(See BOB on page 25)

Hiking, biking, or just relaxing and enjoying the fall weather at a Kansas state park is the perfect way to spend time with family over the holidays or decompress after an intense Black Friday shopping spree.

REI, a Seattle-based outdoor recreation and sporting goods giant, is going to close on Black Friday and pay its 12,000 employees to spend the time outdoors.

You can join this movement to spend time outdoors by visiting a Kansas state park on Black Friday or any other day, and while you may not get paid, you could win an overnight stay in a state park cabin.

Anyone who visits a Kansas state park on Fri., Nov. 27 will have the opportunity to win a free night’s stay. Simply post a picture of you or your family at one of the 26 Kansas state parks on Black Friday and post it to Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag: #myksstatepark.

You’ll be automatically entered into a drawing.

Learn more about Kansas state parks at ksoutdoors.com/StateParks. All state parks are Scott City seventh grader Gisselle Aguirre wins the scramble for a loose ball during Monday’s action open throughout the year, at Garden City.

(Record Photo) although water is available only at camping areas with frost-free hydrants during the winter. Facility updates, locations and reservations can all be found SCMS dropped the “B” in Goodland. Brunswig With seven players for 16 third quarter points on the website. contributing in the scor- and opened up a 27-18 team game, 30-12. Megan scored the team’s only Vance led the team with field goal. ing column, the Scott City lead.

Judy Wiebe scored Scott City’s “B” team Middle School seventh nine points. all of her game high 10 graders ripped Goodland, rallied from an 18-14 defpoints in the second half 37-21, on the road last icit after three quarters to Split with GC to lead the comeback win.

Thursday.

The seventh grade “A” claim a 23-21 win.

Kaely Capps added eight Vance led the Lady Trailing 14-11 at half- second half points while team was completely outtime, the Lady Bluejays Alli Brunswig and Abby manned by Horace Good Bluejays with six points took over in the second McDaniel finished with Middle School, 34-4, while Brunswig and on Monday afternoon Capps added four each. half when they exploded six points each.

7th grade Jays rip Goodland

Pigskin Payoff Overall Totals thru Week 12 Barry Switzer

123

Ryan Roberts

119

Adam Kadavy

118

Clint Shapland

118

Gary Tucker

118

Brent Rogers

117

Jon Berning

115

Keith Shapland

115

Gary Shapland

113

Chad Griffith

112

Tim McGonagle

111

David Perry

111

Cheney is top winner in weekly Payoff It was another very rough week for the Pigskin Payoff contestants with 12 correct games good enough to bring home the weekly prize.

Nic Cheney won his first payoff of the season as the only player with just four misses.

He was followed by Julia Cheney and Chad Griffith who finished second and third, respectively, with 11 correct picks.

Finishing out of the money with 10 correct picks each were Jan Tucker, Shayla Tucker, Joseph Beardsley, Craig Richards and Aaron Kropp.

With only two weeks remaining in the contest Barry Switzer created some distance between himself and the rest of the field for the overall grand prize. Switzer now has 123 points for the year, followed by Ryan Roberts (119) in second place.

The Scott County Record • Page 21 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Physical

(continued from page 19)

the second period, but SCMS answered with a basket by Lyndi Rumford and two field goals by Weathers to close out the half.

Getting accustomed to playing a taller team contributed to the slow start.

“This was the first time we’ve played a team taller than us. We’re used to getting shots inside and they didn’t come so easy,” Crawford says. “The girls had to make some adjustments after the first couple of shots were blocked.”

Scott City’s defensive pressure was a key to their dominating first half performance.

“We were able to force them into several turnovers and we limited our turnovers,”

Attitude

Crawford says.

The Lady Bluejays committed a season low 15 turnovers while getting 16 steals.

Weathers and Rumford led SCMS with eight points each.

Weathers added a team high nine rebounds while Makenna Ashmore pulled down six boards.

From the field, however, SCMS shot just 11-of-50 (22%).

Pounce on Goodland SCMS jumped out to a 15-0 first quarter lead and ripped Goodland, 37-15, on the road last Thursday.

Scott City owned a 22-3 lead at the half and played Goodland on nearly even terms in the second half.

(continued from page 19)

defense and if they’re working hard all the time or only when they think I’m watching them.

“I’m remembering who I have to tell all the time that ‘You’re not touching the line’ or ‘You’re not getting your feet set on this.’ If you continue to do it wrong every time then I’m going to quit talking to you because that tells me you’re not coachable. I’ll move on to the next person.”

That’s the luxury of having nearly 30 girls on the squad.

“There are plenty of girls to choose from,” she says.

But, for now, it’s all about attitude and developing mental toughness.

“We have athletes. We have girls who should be able to play the game,” McCormick says.

“There’s no reason we can’t win.”

“Goodland started timid and didn’t want to play against us in the first half,” says the head coach. “They were a different team in the second half and we didn’t respond well to their aggressiveness. We need to learn how to protect the ball better against an aggressive team.”

Weathers led the Lady Bluejays with 12 points and four rebounds while Rumford added six points and three boards.

Point guard Madison Shapland scored seven points and handed out five assists to go along with three steals and three rebounds.

“Madison played a real good all-around game and she did a nice job of getting the ball to her teammates,” Crawford says.

“B” Team Undefeated Scott City’s “B” team also remained unbeaten with a sweep of Goodland (33-6) and Horace Good (32-17).

Playing her first game since coming off an injury, Kylee Logan scored a game high 11 points against Goodland.

Scoring six points each were Gabby Martinez, Abby LeBeau and Ashmore.

In just one quarter of play against Horace Good, Shapland led the team with 10 points.

Rumford and Weathers added nine and eight, respectively.

The Lady Bluejays will be in action on the home floor Saturday in games against Colby (9:00 a.m.) and Goodland (11:00 a.m.). The “A” team will be playing at SCHS.

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Stewart Benefit Dinner and Auction

Pulled Pork Dinner and Silent Auction

Saturday, November 28 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Nazarene Church Gym/Community Center 1104 Elizabeth St., Scott City

Tre Stewart

As an athlete, I have been invited to participate in the Down Under Sports Tournaments hosted by the Gold Coast of Australia. I am honored to be an ambassador of not only my community and state, but also our country. I will be participating in this international event on the Central Conference Football Team during the summer of 2016.

I am looking for sponsors to help with my costs.

Come to the benefit and pick up a sponsorship letter.

Free-will donation

The Scott County Record • Page 22 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Post-season eligibility rides on final three games After losing to Texas Tech (59-44), Kansas State must win their last three games against Iowa State, Kansas and West Virginia to become bowl eligible.

Kansas is by the only road Mac game left for Stevenson the Wildcats (0-6 in Big 12 play). That’s a stupefying downturn considering Coach Bill Snyder’s history with the Wildcats.

How quickly they forget.

Regardless of the outcome of the last three games, it’s going to be a sad farewell if Snyder decides to retire at the end of the season, which he should do.

Coach Snyder has no more mountains to climb and he’s 76 years old.

Coaching a college football team is a young man’s game.

Snyder’s accomplishments at Kansas State will become more and more renowned as the years roll by.

None of his successors will come close to achieving Snyder’s consistent excellence over 23 years.

Only One Unbeaten And then there was one.

Oklahoma State is the only remaining unbeaten football team in the Big 12 and the Cowboys face a daunting challenge to stay there. Baylor and TCU going down to defeat in the last two weeks is disastrous for the conference’s chances of sending a team to the national playoffs.

O-State plays Baylor and Oklahoma at Stillwater in the last two regular season games. The Cowboys might beat Baylor, but OU is another matter entirely.

OU is the best team in the Big 12, but the Sooners aren’t going to make the Final Four of football even if they win their last two games. Oklahoma’s embarrassing loss to mediocre Texas is the killer.

O-State could win their last two games. If the Cowboys win out and go undefeated, they will represent the Big 12 in the playoffs.

From here it doesn’t look like Oklahoma State could defeat any of the better teams in the nation.

Let’s hope the Cowboys get the opportunity to prove that’s an ill-conceived assessment.

(See GAMES on page 25)

KC Chiefs still can’t get any respect

Kansas City is becoming the Rodney Dangerfield of the NFL . . . we just can’t get any respect.

Last Sunday, the Chiefs embarrassed a first-round-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback. We made him look older and less agile than Methuselah.

How bad was it for Denver quarterback Peyton Manning?

Kansas City’s Cairo Cantos had as many field goals (5) as Manning had completed passes.

The leading passer in NFL history had just 35 yards in completions. But that’s not the most remarkable stat. The Chiefs had 38 yards in interception returns.

In other words, Manning had more passing yards with the Chiefs than he did with his own receivers.

And were all the sports gurus talking about Kansas City’s stellar defense? Were they talking about how this team had been able to do what no one else in the history of the NFL had been able to do to Manning? Were they talking about how the Chiefs showed they are a legitimate playoff team.

Heck no.

The number one story following the game was Manning’s injury status which hadn’t been an issue before the game but was afterwards. This total defensive shutdown of Manning and the Broncos had nothing to do with great defense by the Chiefs, but was a result of bunions on his feet, or ingrown toe nail or some other crippling ailment.

Okay, maybe Manning wasn’t 100 percent. But how many players in the NFL are

Inside the Huddle

with the X-Factor

on any given Sunday?

And when you’re Manning’s age and have seen the wear and tear that his body has over the past 18 years, he’ll never be 100 percent.

But please, at least give the Chiefs some credit. We finally beat a quarterback who has literally owned the Chiefs. Prior to Sunday’s win, KC had lost 13 of the previous 14 games against Manning when he was in Indianapolis or Denver; head coach Andy Reid had lost seven straight games to Manning; and the Chiefs had lost seven straight games to Denver.

To say we finally got a huge monkey off our backs is an understatement.

In fact, there’s little doubt that the devastating loss we suffered against Denver in the second week of the season was a huge reason that we ended up losing the next four games. It’s often said that you can never allow yourself to lose the same game twice (meaning you can’t let a tough loss carry over to the following week).

Kansas City let it linger with us for four long weeks and it nearly ended our season.

What we saw against Denver was a defense that brought a lot of pressure and forced Manning into some uncharacteristic mistakes. We didn’t allow him the quick completions which Manning often uses to

slice-and-dice the opposition.

It also helps that we have a healthy Sean Smith in the secondary. With him in the lineup we’ve seen our sacks and the number of turnovers increase because quarterbacks have to hold onto the ball another second or two which allows the rush to get to them.

During our current three game win streak we’ve won the turnover battle 10-0 and we have 11 interceptions in the last four games.

Back in the Hunt Just as importantly, we’re back in the conversation for a playoff spot. Granted, we can’t afford to stumble anywhere along the way, but we have control over our destiny if we can win the rest of our games.

On paper, we have the easiest schedule in the NFL over the next seven weeks. However, four of those games are against AFC West opponents and that’s never easy.

We have a huge game this Sunday against a struggling San Diego team that is also in desperate need of a win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.

Of course, there are a lot of skeptics who don’t think we have a chance of getting to the playoffs without All-Pro runningback Jamaal Charles.

Maybe they’re right. Then again, we’ve been able to win three straight with Charles on the sideline.

Don’t read this the wrong way because I would much rather have Charles than be without him, but there may be a silver lining to having him on the sideline. Quite frankly, Reid and the KC offense had

become way too predictable with Charles on the field.

That hasn’t been the case with Charcandrick West at runningback. It seems that Reid has been willing to use more offensive weapons out of necessity.

I hate to be accused of blasphemy, but it could be argued that we are a better team than before the injury to Charles.

Hopefully, this is a learning experience that will make us an even better team when Charles returns next season.

Injury Report Defensive end Allen Bailey didn’t play against Denver but will hopefully return this week.

Three-time Pro Bowler Ben Grubbs has been out of the lineup for several weeks, but I’m not sure how much of a loss that’s been. We expected a lot more from the offensive guard. He’s given up more quarterback pressures than any other guard in the league.

As for offensive lineman Donald Stephenson, I don’t know if he’s injured or been benched. Part of the problem with our offense is that we keep plugging in different linemen for almost every game.

Until we can find some consistency with our starting lineup it’s going to be a problem for our offense. When you look at the great Kansas City teams of years past, one thing most of them had in common was a great offensive line that was intact for an entire season - and for several seasons.

The X Factor (Ty Rowton) is a former Scott City resident who has been inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame as a Chiefs Superfan

The Scott County Record • Page 23 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

The Scott County Record • Page 24 • Thursday, November 19, 2015 Minnesota vs Atlanta

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The Scott County Record • Page 25 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Bob Each time they verified that the bird appeared to be healthy and OK, but just a little out-of-place.

The third call however was different. It seems Bob was walking around in the middle of the local football field while practice was in session.

The local animal control people were afraid to approach it and by the time Brandi and Mario got there, the bird was precariously perched on the roof of a nearby single story house.

Now they had gone prepared for a rodeo in capturing the bird, with tarps and gear to throw over the vulture if possible, and carefully roll the bird up inside and carry it away. Ironically, stuck in a nearby chain link fence was the carcass of a dead squirrel, so using the dead squirrel as bait, they

Games NCAA Disaster The Cheick Diallo case between the University of Kansas recruit and the NCAA is still in limbo, which is a disgrace for all involved at the NCAA. Many media members such as Jay Bilas of ESPN, lawyers, and numerous others have become involved. It’s a mess.

(continued from page 20)

tossed the carcass near the house and waited.

In just a few minutes the vulture flew down, strolled nonchalantly over to the squirrel and picked it up. They slowly inched their way toward the feeding bird, tarps and gear at the ready, awaiting a tussle that never happened.

They were able to walk up to him, literally pick him up, place him in a crate and walk away. The next morning at home, Brandi opened the cage and held out a dead rat, and Bob waltzed casually over to her and took his breakfast from her hand.

Closer inspection of Bob’s feathers and consideration of his demeanor convinced them that Bob had been raised somewhere by humans and was now “imprinted,” meaning that he no longer believes he is a vulture,

but rather believes he is human. He must, for now, rely on them for everything.

Mario and Brandi are able to keep Bob because of their falconry permit and are in the process of getting required permits to possibly use Bob for educational purposes.

As wildlife rescuers, the Nickerson’s goal is two-fold - to re-adopt rescued pets to new homes and to release wild-rescued critters back into the wild. They’re not sure if Bob can ever be re-released back into the wild, but how cool would it be to have a pet turkey vulture?

Talk about a conversation starter!

Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors.

Steve can be contacted by email at stevegilliland@idkcom.net

(continued from page 22)

Former KU players Ben McLemore and Cliff Alexander and current player Jamari Traylor have gone through similar hazing by the NCAA. Alexander’s case from last season is especially suspicious. Why would the NCAA wait until just before the NCAA Tournament to decide that Alexander was under inves-

tigation and then just sit on it until the season was over.

It’s all inexplicable.

Self is going to have a typical Kansas basketball team. However, to be a dominant ball club, the Jayhawks need Diallo. If the NCAA continues their stubborn stance, KU will be just one of a number of talented teams.

The Scott County Record • Page 26 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

SC’s dynamic duo SCHS head coach Glenn O’Neil (right) and defensive coordinator Jim Turner observe action during the Class 3A regional playoff game. (Record Photo)

O’Neil, Turner just keep finding ways to crank out championship caliber teams Success for the Scott Community High School football team isn’t measured by whether or not they finish with a winning record.

When you haven’t had a losing season since 1977, a winning record is expected.

It’s not measured by district playoff wins (22 consecutive over the past eight years, or the team’s seven consecutive district titles This is a program that not only expects to be in the playoffs, but expects to make a deep run year after year.

That’s what made this year’s early exit tough to take for the Beavers and their fans. It wasn’t just the controversial way they were eliminated from the playoffs, but that it happened in the second round.

After winning their first 10 games of the season - the eighth consecutive year in which SCHS has posted double-digit wins - Scott City’s dream of appearing in a second consecutive state championship game ended with a heartbreaking loss on the home field.

Disappointed? Naturally.

But given the key starters who were lost to graduation from last year’s state runnerup team, and in light of how the team looked in escaping with a season opening win at Clearwater, no one can claim this team underachieved.

By any measure, head coach Glenn O’Neil and defensive coordinator Jim Turner once again showed why they are one of the best football coaching tandems in the state.

“We think a lot the same way,” says O’Neil.

He says the two struck up a good working relationship while they were both assistant coaches. It was during the Brent Glann head coaching tenure that

every year.”

Nonetheless, O’Neil says the Beavers exceeded his expecW L tations by going through the 2007 7 5 regular season undefeated, 2008 10 2 including another Great West 2009 11 1 Activities Conference champi2010 10 1 onship with wins over Ulysses 2011 11 1 and Holcomb.

“I think that says a lot 2012 14 0 about these kids and the work 2013 11 2 they’re willing to put in,” says 2014 13 1 O’Neil. “I honestly don’t think 2015 10 1 you could say that we were Total 97 14 favored to beat either Ulysses or Holcomb, not when you look they molded the 4-4 defense at the talent they had coming which has been a hallmark of back, but our kids listen, they Scott City’s outstanding defenswork hard and they got it done.” es for more than 15 years.

“Jim will develop the front Senior Leadership seven or eight and I’ll decide But success doesn’t just on the defensive backs,” O’Neil begin with the coaching staff. says.

“We’ve kind of gotten to the O’Neil and Turner acknowlpoint where we pretty much edge it requires senior leaderknow what the other guy’s ship and that was provided in thinking. I’m sure that’s a lot abundance by Cooper Griffith, scarier for Glenn than it is for Wyatt Kropp and Abe Wiebe.

“They were great leaders, not me,” Turner says with a laugh. just by what they said, but by the example they set every day Raised Expectations As with the start of any sea- in practice,” says Turner.

He recalled one instance durson there can be a lot of quesing practice when Coach O’Neil tions surrounding personnel and whether a team can meet the was “ripping into one of the high expectations that are part boys in the huddle on offense of SCHS football. Those expec- and after he walks around to tations took a minor hit when the front (of the huddle) Coop the Beavers escaped Clearwater comes up behind the kid and with a 30-15 come-from-behind smacks him on the butt.

“He doesn’t say a word. He win in the season opener.

“When you look at the first didn’t have to,” Turner noted. game we had a lot of ques- “It was his way of saying, tions about how good we could ‘Learn from your mistake and be,” says Turner. “But as the shrug it off. We’ve all been season went along and we there. I think that means a lot to saw improvement we began the kids and they respect that.’”

Likewise, when Kropp was to believe that we were good enough to go deep in the play- sidelined with a shoulder injury offs and maybe get back to he was there for his teammates.

“He could have found some the (state) championship game excuse not to be at practice, again.

“That is one of the reasons but instead he’s there coaching I love coaching here. Our kids Jarret (Jurgens) for the next love football, they love to win couple of weeks to prepare him and they expect to be good to take his place,” Turner says.

Glenn O’Neil’s SCHS Coaching Career

“Those are incredible leadership things. That’s the kind of seniors we want. We don’t want seniors who are only looking after themselves and are just out there to rip their teammates.

“It’s our job, as coaches, to correct mistakes when they happen. It’s their job, as leaders, to pull the team closer together.”

Seeing who will fill that leadership void year after year can be challenging and rewarding.

“Those are some big shoes to fill,” emphasizes O’Neil.

“Wyatt, Cooper and Abe were three very tough kids who were very physical, very emotional and they played with a lot of passion.

“What’s even more impressive about this senior class is that they aren’t just a good group of football players, but they’re a very good group of young men,” says the head coach. “That’s what you’re going to miss in your program as much as anything.”

Reloading, Not Rebuilding However, if Scott City has proved anything over the years it’s that they don’t rebuild, they reload. For years, opponents have been waiting . . . and hoping . . . for Scott City to have just an average football team and for them the wait continues.

O’Neil attributes that continued success to the fact the next group of players are ready to resume the tradition that has been established at SCHS. “Sometimes you’re surprised by the players who step up and assume a major role in our success, but that has to happen.

Nobody is going to give us anything,” O’Neil says.

“We need to see more dedication from our younger kids in terms of film study and how hard they’re willing to work.

We had younger boys who did what was asked of them, but

they didn’t do more than what was asked and that’s what it takes if you want to be a championship team.

“Coop, Wyatt and Abe weren’t content with just doing enough to get by. They were able to pull everyone else along with them.”

The foundation is in place.

The junior varsity is coming off a 7-0 season which includes wins over Garden City, Ulysses and Holcomb.

“These boys had success at the JV level, which is what we want. But they have to understand that doesn’t translate into success at the next level,” O’Neil says.

Of course, there’s still the lingering loss to Norton in the regional playoffs. It’s something that O’Neil hopes the Beavers don’t quickly forget.

“It wasn’t the way we wanted our season to end. We can either feel self-pity or we can use it as added motivation to do better next year,” he says.

If that isn’t motivation enough, O’Neil is already projecting the Beavers to be underdogs in the league title chase.

“I see us as the second or third best team in the league behind Holcomb and possibly Ulysses and Hugoton,” O’Neil says cautiously.

Maybe the other GWAC schools will see that as their chance to finally notch a rare win over the Beavers. Just maybe they’ll see SCHS as merely mortal.

But betting against O’Neil and Turner is never a smart proposition - not against a coaching duo that has won 90 percent of their games over the past eight seasons.

It’s not the 90 wins that the two coaches think about over that stretch. It’s the nine losses.

“We hate to lose,” says Turner.

The Scott County Record

Page 27 - Thursday, November 19, 2015

a family affair

Noll family puts creativity to test with tablescapes

Tablescapes have become a holiday tradition for the Noll family.

Teresa Noll and her three children - Alivia (11), Avry (9) and Addison (7) - each put their creativity into tablescapes which are on display through Nov. 25 at the Scott County Library.

“I love doing this with the kids. Each has their own idea,” says Teresa, though some ideas are a little harder to arrive at than others.

“Mom helped me with my idea this year,” admits Avry who’s tablescape was a superhero theme with Captain America and Spiderman.

“That’s because if it was left up to him every year his tablescape would have something to do with the NFL,” Teresa says. “I try to help him come up with a different idea.”

Teresa says her mother, Shirley Rein, was the first to get started with the tablescape project and later began helping her granddaughters, Amelia, Alivia and Addison. Since the passing of her mother, Teresa has joined her daughters in continuing the tradition.

Many of the themes are based on what the Noll family can find around the home.

“I’m pretty good about keeping things around,” admits Teresa. “I can find a lot of things that once belonged to my grandmother and my mother.”

A New Year’s-themed display includes a variety of time pieces, including a pocket watch that once belonged to her great-grandfather. Crystals and glass goblets are family heirlooms and they go along with a number of watches that had been collected by Amelia.

Addison, 7, had a snowman theme for this year’s tablescape.

The Nolls also like to be prepared when creating their tablescape. In fact, they will do a test layout at home before they set up the display at the library.

“We like to know what we’re doing before we get here,” Teresa says.

While it remains a family affair, Teresa does acknowl-

(Top) Addison Noll puts some snowballs into place with her Snowmanthemed tablescape display. (Above) Avry Noll arranges some superhero characters on his table top. (Right) Watches provided an appropriate centerpiece for a New Year’s display created by Teresa Noll.

(Record Photos)

edge that Avry has been a little reluctant to participate.

“When he starts to wonder about doing this I tell him that it will be good for his dating life someday,” says Teresa as she reminds Avry of the proper way that silverware should be placed on a table.

While the nine-year-old doesn’t see dating getting in the way of his immediate plans to pursue a career in the NFL, he doesn’t seem to mind as he adds the finishing touches to his display.

“This really isn’t so bad,” he adds.

The Scott County Record

Farm

Page 28 - Thursday, November 19, 2015

Wheat off to a great start; too bad it’s still November Wheat doesn’t enter dormancy with extended fall

Wheat and more . . . or less

If it were mid-April, I’d say the wheat looks perfect - big, thick, heavy, and lush. You can’t even see the ground. There must be 100 tillers per plant.

But wait. This is midNovember. Is this wheat too big?

In 40 years of farming, this is the biggest wheat I’ve ever seen. And while we didn’t plant all that early at all, the problem is simply we’ve had another very mild and extended fall

which allowed the wheat to just keep growing and growing. Sort of like last year.

And you know how that turned out. Are we cruising for another bruising?

What got us into trouble last year was another long, open fall which suddenly ended in mid-November when we went from 75 degrees to single digits in a 12-hour period. The wheat wasn’t even thinking about becoming winter dormant.

by Vance Ehmke

It never had any time whatsoever to gradually and slowly adjust into the dormant stage.

And yes, there was a lot of winter kill. This is one of the things that happens when your first hard killing frost comes a month late.

K-State’s northwest Kansas Extension agronomist Lucas Haag said that event was the defining moment for the 2015 wheat crop. When the temperature dropped suddenly and severely, he says we lost half of our crowns right off the bat. And the remaining half had all degrees of injury.

What saved our bacon

was that the very dry weather pattern turned into a cold and wet May - exactly what the remaining injured plants needed to produce somewhat of a normal yield.

If not for the winter injury we very likely would have been looking at possible career highs on wheat yield. As it turned out, we were somewhat below the long-term average.

I’m not griping because that was a heck of a lot better than yields from the two previous years. Because of dry weather, those yields were simply an embarrassment.

(See WHEAT on page 29)

FSA committee ballots due Dec. 7

The USDA has mailed ballots to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country for the 2015 FSA County Committee elections. Producers must return ballots to their local FSA offices

by Monday, Dec. 7.

“County committee members represent the farmers and ranchers in their communities,” said Lora Wycoff, county director of the Scott County Farm Service Agency (FSA). “It is a valued partnership that helps us better understand the needs of the farmers and ranchers we serve.”

In Scott County the committee has three elected members who serve threeyear terms. One position is up for election each year.

One-third of county committee seats are up for election each year. Voters who do not receive ballots in the coming week can pick one up at the local FSA office. Voting by proxy is prohibited.

Kansas Wheat supports TPP approval, expansion Kansas Wheat, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) are pleased that negotiators have reached an agreement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

The two national organizations agree the TPP will be beneficial to U.S. wheat producers and improve their competitiveness in the Asia-

Wheat Scoop Marsha Boswell communications director

Kansas Wheat

Pacific region.

With domestic wheat consumption relatively stable, the largest potential growth lies in developing markets with rising middle classes - like those in Southeast Asia that are included in the TPP. However, these agree-

ments also include some of the most stable customers, like Japan, where wheat is a very politically sensitive crop.

“Kansas farmers, in particular, have much to gain from Trans-Pacific Partnership,” said Daniel Heady, Kansas Wheat director of governmental affairs. “The TPP will help expand existing trade between Kansas and current U.S. free trade agree-

ment (FTA) partners, which will support economic growth and jobs in Kansas.

“In addition, the TPP will also open new markets for Kansas with five Asia-Pacific countries Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Vietnam - that are not current U.S. FTA partners.”

Japan alone purchases roughly 10 percent of all

Scientists seek farmer involvement in battling herbicide-resistant weeds MANHATTAN - The spread of herbicide-resistant weeds is a growing problem in many parts of the United States.

While herbicide resistance has existed for decades, the number of weed species with resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides has risen dramatically in recent years.

As a result, more time and money are being spent on weed control, and farmers are faced with the likelihood of lower yields and profits unless changes

in their weed management are implemented. Further, some conservation gains made with reduced or no tillage systems may be reversed.

A team of weed scientists, economists and sociologists, led by agronomist Mike Owen of Iowa State University is tackling the issue of herbicide-resistant weeds.

The team seeks to gain a better understanding of the causes and consequences of herbicide resistant weeds and the strategies farmers use to cope with them.

The team is in the process of surveying farmers who manage a wide-range of corn, soybean, cotton and sugar beet enterprises.

Farmers have an understanding of the problem and cost-effective approaches.

The survey will help the team better understand the dimensions of herbicide resistance as well as how herbicide-resistant weeds are spreading. It will determine how farmers manage weeds on their farms, including the use of herbicides, tillage sys-

tems, crop rotation, and other practices that have significant impacts on herbicide resistance.

Growers in several states are receiving the survey. Those who receive it are asked to return it as quickly as possible, says Kansas State University weed scientist Curtis Thompson.

Another focus of the survey is to identify social, economic and technological barriers that prevent farmers from using different weed management approaches.

U.S. wheat exports each year.”

Wheat, soybeans, beef, animal feed and hides are all commodities that will see market development from the TPP. It will boost demand for these products, and more, among nearly 500 million consumers in 11 countries across the Asia-Pacific region.

Japan will issue new tariff-rate quotas for

wheat and wheat products within six years, Vietnam will eliminate tariffs that go as high as 31% within four years and three other countries will eliminate all tariffs immediately.

For all these reasons, the U.S. wheat industry is unified in its support of trade promotion authority as a means to negotiate - and complete - comprehensive trade agreements.

Market Report

Weather

Closing prices on November 17, 2015 Bartlett Grain Wheat.................. $ 3.96 White Wheat ....... $ 4.01 Milo .................... $ 2.99 Corn ................... $ 3.47 Soybeans (new crop) $ 7.73

H

L

P

November 10 68 39 November 11 45 33 November 12 58 31 November 13 59 29 November 14 67

27

November 15 67

34

Scott City Cooperative Wheat.................. $ 3.96 White Wheat ....... $ 4.01 Milo (bu.)............. $ 2.99 Corn.................... $ 3.47 Soybeans ........... $ 7.73 Sunflowers.......... $ 13.85

November 16 71

43 1.02

ADM Grain Wheat..................

Milo (bu.).............

Corn....................

Soybeans............

Sunflowers..........

Food Facts Today, in Michigan, there are almost four million cherry trees which annually produce 150 to 200 pounds of tart cherries.

$ 4.03 $ 3.02 $ 3.62 $ 7.69 $ 14.40

.03

Moisture Totals November

1.20

2015 Total

23.53

The Scott County Record • Page 29 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Over-tapping of Ogallala peaked in 2006 toric and projected future groundwater use rates.

The High Plains Aquifer - which underlies parts of Kansas, South Dakota, Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas - provides 30 percent of the irrigation water for those key agricultural states.

“We tried to understand how aquifer depletion has manifested itself across the aquifer as well as how it has changed over time and how aquifer depletion would be extended into the future,” said David Steward, a civil engineering professor and a researcher on the project.

Steward and doctoral student Andrew Allen found that the aquifer’s depletion followed a south to north progression, and that some portions of the aquifer are depleting, while others are not.

In Texas, the depletion peaked in 1999. In New Mexico, that point was reached in 2002. In

Oklahoma, it was 2012.

Depletion of the portion of the aquifer underlying Colorado is projected to peak in 2023.

Three states Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming - are not projected to reach their depletion peaks before 2110.

Over-pumping of the High Plains Aquifer beyond its recharge rate peaked overall in 2006, while the aquifer’s rate of depletion in the portion underlying Kansas reached its high point in 2010, according to a recently released study.

The Kansas State

University study also projected the aquifer’s use would decrease by about half over the next 100 years.

Researchers studied the water depletion in 3,200 Kansas wells and 11,000 wells from the other seven states where the aquifer is located, looking at his-

KCA trade show in DC on Nov. 21

Industry pushes back against antibiotics claims

The Kansas Cattlemen’s Assn. (KCA) will hold its annual convention and trade show on Sat., Nov. 21, at the Western State Bank Expo Center in Dodge City. There will be numerous presentations and demonstrations throughout the day.

Registration and a pancake feed will begin at 7:30 a.m. The trade show opens at 8:00 a.m.

The convention will conclude with a social, benefit auction and banquet.

Highlights include: 8:30 a.m.: “Breeding Stock Risk Management” covers ways of insuring against loss of breeding stock in cow/calf operations.

9:00 a.m.: “US Economy, New World Development Paradigm . . . Or Bust.” Bob Baker of the Executive Intelligence Review, reveals the derivatives effect on U.S. economic viability.

9:30 a.m.: “Agriculture Today” offers an outlook for the next year.

10:30 a.m.: “Competition in the Cattle Industry,” explores industry issues with regard to competition.

1:15 p.m.: Low-Stress Cattle Handling,” reviews proper cattle handling techniques via a live cattle demonstration.

2:15 p.m.: “Climate: Then, Now, and Tomorrow,” summarizes weather patterns we have seen, are currently experiencing, and what may possibly lay ahead.

3:20 p.m.: “Schwieterman Market Update.”

4:00 p.m.: “Equipment: Buying and Selling Online.”

Consumer Reports’ much-promoted “report” on meat and antibiotic resistance provides no new information of value to consumers, the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) said this week in a response to Consumer Reports’ latest article on its antibiotics series.

NAMI pointed out in response to Consumer Reports’ previous tests of meat and poultry cited in this story, it is nearly impossible to draw conclusions on antibiotic

Wheat So . . . is it going to be different this time?

I talked recently with Jim Shroyer who recently retired as K-State’s Extension wheat specialist. As a matter of fact, that was the first thing he wanted to talk about how does the wheat crop look?

Without a doubt, he does have some concern.

In his observation, there is a lot of “big wheat” not only across Western Kansas but all the way through eastern Colorado.

And while having big, thick, lush top growth

JONES CLUB LAMBS

Jeremy • 620-397-1638 Stefanie • 620-397-8075 113 W. Hwy 4, Healy, Ks bustn2kick@st-tel.net

resistance and its relationship to production methods because Consumer Reports does not provide any detailed data to support its assertions, NAMI officials said in a statement.

“It is disappointing that Consumer Reports continues to perpetuate myths about ‘superbugs’ on meat and poultry products,” Betsy Booren, Ph.D, NAMI vice president of scientific affairs, said. “Bacteria develop resistance in nature in

response to a variety of threats. Just because bacteria are resistant to one or more antibiotics does not mean they are superbugs and this is a fact that has been affirmed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“More meaningful information would indicate whether pathogenic bacteria are resistant to certain types of antibiotics, but Consumer Reports has never shared this information publicly,” Booren said.

The Consumer Reports article said, “… nowhere are the (antibiotic) drugs more inappropriately employed than in the meat and poultry industries. About 80 percent of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. are given to animals raised for food - including hogs, cattle, chickens and turkeys.”

Pork and beef industry officials have said the often-quoted 80 percent figure is erroneous.

“The most recent data from the Food and Drug

Adminstration show that more than 32 million pounds of antibiotics were sold for use in food animals in the U.S. in 2013 - up 17 percent from just four years earlier,” the Consumer Reports article continued.

Several meat and poultry producers, such as Tyson, and restaurant chains, like McDonald’s and Subway, have pledged to reduce the production or sale of meat or poultry from animals raised with antibiotics.

Shroyer also says we need a gradual slowdown in temperature.

“I’d like to see our night time temperatures start settling into the 20s so the plants can gradually transition into winter dormancy,” he noted.

While we are definitely getting a break with recent rains lessening the chances for winterkill, another way to help deal with the thick, lush wheat stands is to graze it. An Oklahoma State University agronomist told me years ago that lush stands increase the odds of winterkill, but

grazing the wheat puts a stress on the plant which causes it to toughen up and, thus, be better able to handle the possibility of winterkill.

At the end of the day, I am a little concerned about the fields where we have the big wheat. On the other hand, that might be a good deal.

If you combine those incredible tiller numbers with wet weather continuing into next spring, we could be sitting on a gold mine!

Stay tuned.

(continued from page 28)

does increase the odds of winter kill or winter injury, Jim has other concerns.

“I would expect to see a lot more wheat streak mosaic virus next spring - especially if you were unlucky enough to plant by a neighbor who did not control his volunteer wheat. Same with barley yellow dwarf virus.

In addition, we’ve now got a greater likelihood of problems with insects like greenbugs.”

Another concern is that the big wheat really puts a drain on soil moisture

supplies. One of the problems last year was the big wheat dried out the topsoil so when temperatures dropped sharply, the freezing temps were able to penetrate deeper into the soil and do more damage to the wheat crowns.

Unlike last year, we have been getting some fall rains which have been keeping the topsoil fairly wet.

“These wet soils have been a blessing in that if we did have a sharp drop in temperature, they’d help protect the plants,” says Shroyer.

Vance Ehmke farms and lives in Lane County

$

7

The Scott County Record • Page 30 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Call 872-2090 today!

Per Week

The Scott County Record Professional Directory

There’s no better way to reach your potential customers in Scott County and the surrounding areas.

Pro Ex II

Agriculture

Preconditioning and Growing

Over 20 Years Experience

• 45 Years Experience • Managed and owned by full-time DVM • 2,000 Head capacity Office - 872-5150 • Scott City

Professional Extermination Commercial & Residential

• Termites • Rodents • Soil Sterilization • Pre Treats • Lawn Care • Fly Parasites

John Kropp, Owner • Scott City 874-2023 (cell) • 872-3400 (office) • prox2@live.com

Stuart Doornbos Home - 872-2775 Cell - 874-0951

Walker Plumbing, Inc.

Sager’s Pump Service

Backhoe & Trenching services • Irrigation & gas leak repairs • Full-line irrigation parts T-L center pivot dealer Floor heat systems Pump & install septic systems Boring equipment

• Irrigation • Domestic • Windmills • Submersibles

Cell: 874-4486 • Office 872-2101

423 S. Mesquite Rd. • Scott City • 872-2130

Construction/Home Repair Custom Steel Buildings, LLC All steel and metal building system 26 GA R-Panel and 4" R 14 insulation standard

We can build your building to meet whatever specs you may have. Call today for your free quote.

Brandon Dirks • 620-874-5083 Justin Koehn • 620-214-3550

ELLIS AG SERVICES • Custom Manure Conditioning • Hauling and Spreading • Custom Swathing and Baling • Rounds-Net or Twine • Gyp and Sand Sales • Custom Harvesting

CHAMBLESS ROOFING Residential

RTRex Turley, Plumbing Master Plumber Residental and Commercial Plumbing

Water Systems, water lines, sewer cleaning faucets and fixtures, garbage diposals and more

Marienthal, Ks.

620-909-5014 (H) • 620-874-4128 (C)

SPENCER PEST CONTROL All Types of Roofing

Commercial

Call Brittan Ellis • 620-874-5160

Cedar Shake and Shingle Specialists Return to Craftsmanship Attention to Detail and Quality Guaranteed 620-872-2679 • 1-800-401-2683

Automotive

Dirks Earthmoving Co.

RESIDENTIAL – COMMERCIAL Termite Baiting Systems • Rodents Weed Control • Structural Insects Termite Control Box 258, Scott City • (620) 872-2870

Precision Land Forming of terraces and waterways; feed lot pens and ponds; building site preparation; lazer equipped

Richard Dirks • Scott City, Ks. (Home) 872-3057 • 877-872-3057 (Cell) 872-1793

Medical

Landscaping • Lawn/Trees

Charles Purma II D.D.S. P.A.

Berning Tree Service

General Dentistry, Cosmetics, and Insurance Accepted

David Berning • Marienthal

620-379-4430

We welcome new patients.

Tree Trimming and Removal Hedge and Evergreen Trimming Stump Removal

Fully Insured

Contact:

SCOT AYTES • 874-1646 t Paint i

Red

Specializing in all coatings

or any other color Paint inside and out residential, commercial, and industrial.

Free estimates and 16 plus years of experience.

PC Painting, Inc. Paul Cramer 620-290-2410 620-872-8910 www.pcpaintinginc.com

324 N. Main • Scott City • 872-2389 Residence 872-5933

7

$

The Scott County Record • Page 31 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Call 872-2090 today!

Per Week

Professional Directory Continued

Horizon Health For your home medical supply and equipment needs!

We service and repair all that we sell.

1602 S. Main • Scott City • 872-2232 Toll Free : 1-866-672-2232

Pro Health Chiropractic Wellness Center

Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

www.reganjewelers.com

412 N. Main • Garden City • 620-275-5142

Services

(Scott City Chiropractic) “TLC”...

Technology Lead Chiropractic

Dr. James Yager 110 W. 4th St. • Scott City • 872-2310 Toll Free: 800-203-9606

Berning Auction “Don’t Trust Your Auction to Just Anyone”

For all your auction needs call:

(620) 375-4130

Dr. Jeffrey A. Heyd

Russell Berning Box Q • Leoti

Optometrist 20/20 Optometry

Kansas Classifieds Ad Network

The classified ads below are appearing in 147 Kansas newspapers with a total circulation of 500,000 the classified display ads appear in 142 Kansas newspapers with a total circulation of 457,000. KCAN line ad is $300 for up to 25 words and $12 each additional word. A 2x2 display ad is $800 per insertion and a 2x4 display ad is $1,650 per insertion. To find out more, contact The Scott County Record at 872-2090.

For Sale

Truck Driving

S T O R A G E CONTAINERS. 20 ft., 40 ft., 45 ft., 48 ft. and 53 ft. centralcontainer.net or 785-655-9430.

––––––––––––––––––––– DISH TV Retailer. Save.

Starting $19.99/month (for 12 months.) Free premium movie channels. Free equipment, installation and activation. Compare local deals. Call 800-6766809.

––––––––––––––––––––– DIRECTV starting at $19.99/mo. Free installation. Free 3 months of HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, Starz. FREE HD/DVR upgrade. 2015 NFL Sunday Ticket included (select packages). New customers only.

Call 1-800-381-0740.

––––––––––––––––––––– ALL NEW. Happy Jack DuraSpot. Kills and repels fleas, ticks and larvae.

Repels mites, lice and mosquitoes.

Contains Nylar IGR. Orschlen Farm & Home. www.happyjackinc.com.

BUTLER TRANSPORT. Your partner in excellence. Drivers needed.

Great hometime. $650 sign-on bonus. All miles paid. 1-800-528-7825. www.butlertransport.com.

––––––––––––––––––––– CONVOY SYSTEMS is hiring Class A drivers to run from Kansas City to the west coast. Home weekly. Great benefits. www.convoysystems.com.

Call Lori at 1-800-9266869, ext. 303.

––––––––––––––––––––– DRIVERS: CDL A or B to transfer vehicles from and to various locations throughout U.S. No forced dispatch. Run as much as you want. Safety incentives. Apply online at www.mamotransportation. com under Careers or call 1-800-501-3783.

––––––––––––––––––––– NEED CLASS A OTR, regional, local end dump drivers for newly expanded business. Late model equipment, vacation pay, health insurance, 401K. Call (800) 776-5672.

Medical

Treatment of Ocular Disease • Glaucoma Detection Children’s Vision • Glasses • Contact Lenses

STOP OVERPAYING for your prescriptions.

Save up to 93%. Call our licensed Canadian and International pharmacy service to compare prices and get $15 off your first prescription and free shipping. 1-800-981-6179.

Complete family eye center!

106 W. 4th • Scott City • 872-2020 • Emergencies: 214-1462

Sports/Outdoors Scott City Myofascial Release Sandy Cauthon RN

Bolen Enterprises Prairie Dog Control

1101 S. Main, Scott City 620-874-1813

Call me to schedule your Myofascial Release

Sporting Goods GUN SHOW. November 21-22. Saturday 9:00-5:00; Sunday, 9:00-4:00. Kansas Coliseum, (I-135 and E. 85th Street N), Wichita.

Buy-Sell-Trade. For info call (563) 927-8176.

Have questions about the Scott Commnity Foundation?

Call 872-3790

NO. 1 IN HUNTING leases. The best land = The most success.www.

BaseCampLeasing.com/ hunt.

866-309-1507.

Lease your private hunting spot now.

•34 years experience •Bonded/Licensed

Bob Bolen 785-821-0042 • Fax 785-852-4275

Retail

Gene’s Appliance Over 200 appliances in stock!

COMPARE OUR PRICES!

We have Reverse Osmosis units in stock.

Remember us for parts in stock for all brands of all appliances.

Sales and Service Days • Mon. - Sat. Deliveries • Mon.-Sat.

Largest Frigidaire appliance dealer in Western Ks. 508 Madison • Scott City • 872-3686

Networktronic, Inc.

Computer Sales, Service and Repair Custom computers!

Networking solutions!

Northend Disposal A garbologist company.

Mon. - Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

402 S. Main, Scott City • 872-1300

Scott City • 872-1223 • 1-800-303-3371

Brent Rogers

Sales Consultant b.rogers@officesolutionsinc.biz

Office (620) 276-3131 Toll Free 1-800-794-9052 Cell (620) 874-0014 Fax (620) 276-8876 1007 N. 8th, Garden City, KS 67846 www.officesolutionsinc.biz Support your hometown merchants who back your school and community activities throughout the year!

All Under One Roof

Revcom Electronics

Your RadioShack Dealer Two-way Radio Sales & Service Locally owned and operated since 1990

1104 Main • Scott City • 872-2625

Dining

Classifieds

The Scott County Record • Page 32 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Buy, sell, trade, one call does it all 872-2090 ot fax 872-0009

Classified Ad Deadline: Monday at 5:00 p.m.

Classified Ad Rate: 20¢ per word. Minimum charge, $5.

Blind ad: $2.50 per week extra. Card of thanks: 10¢ per word. Minimum charge, $3. Classified Display Ad rate: $6.00 per column inch.

Classified advertising must be paid in advance unless business account is established.

If not paid in advance, there will be a $1 billing charge.

Tear sheet for classified ad will be $1 extra.

CLASSIFIED ADS

DEADLINE

FOR THANKSGIVING WEEK

Friday, Nov. 20 at 5:00 p.m.

S

AD

Pine Village Apartments 300 E. Nonnamaker

Apartments available for qualifying tenants 62+ or disabled with rental assistance available.

Hours: Tuesday, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. by appointment Call Steve 872-2535 or (620) 255-4824.

19tfc

NEW LISTINGS

3 bedrooms, 1 bath, full

LEAVES ARE FALLING AND SO ARE THESE PRICES!

basement, SA garage, DD

Perfect for the large

south location. $79,900.

5-bedroom home with

garage, fenced yard,

family, Texas sized

large family room, plant

room, covered patio, SA

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS If you want to drink, that’s your business.

If you want to stop, that’s ours.

Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

Tuesday nights at 8:30 p.m. at the United Methodist Church basement (use west door).

412 College, Scott City.

Real Estate

Help Wanted

Services

COMMERCIAL BUILDING for sale a 133x45 ft. (approx.) round top building. Serious inquiries only. Seller is a real estate agent selling own property. 874-5109 26tfc or 874-2124.

USD 466 NEEDS s u b stitute route bus drivers.

For applications and additional information contact Lance Carter at 620-87202tfc 7655.

Rentals

WANT TO BUY. Stored corn. Call for basis and contract information.

1-800-579-3645.

Lane County Feeders, Inc. 32tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– WANT TO BUY. Wheat straw delivered. Call for contracting information.

Lane County Feeders.

397-5341.

44tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– DAMAGED GRAIN. We are buying damaged grain. Grain vacs available for loading. Call 316640-3203.

15t8p

WANTED: Yards to mow and clean up, etc. Trim smaller trees and bushes too. Call Dean Riedl, (620) 872-5112 or 8744135.

34tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– METAL ROOFING, SIDING and TRIMS at direct-to-the-public prices. Call Metal King Mfg., 620-872-5464. Our prices will not be beat!

37tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– FURNITURE REPAIR and refinishing. Lawn mower tune-up and blade sharpening. Call Vern Soodsma, 872-2277 or 874-1412.

4015tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– MOWER REPAIR, tuneup and blade sharpening.

Call Rob Vsetecka at 620214-1730.

4515tfc

HIDE AND SEEK STORAGE SYSTEMS. Various sizes available.

Virgil and LeAnn Kuntz, 620-874-2120.

41tfc ––––––––––––––––––––– PLAINJAN’S RENTAL houses and duplexes. Stop by the office or call 620872-5777.

05tfc

Al-Anon at same time and location.

Contact: 874-0472 or 872-3137. 30t52

Agriculture

NEW ON THE MARKET! Our Scott City location has “grinding quality” alfalfa for sale.

For questions or purchase please call: 620-872-5661.

garage and 30’x50’ shop

12t4c

Needing a place to start your own retail business?

A 60’x22’ concrete block and steel structured commercial building on a 140’x25’ lot in an excellent location! F/H and F/A, some shelving, restroom and ramp access in back. Call today for your private showing!

in quiet Shallow Water.

Price slashed to $95,000.

District 11 AA Meetings

TIRED OF RENTING??

Scott City

Daylight Donut Shop with

Unity and Hope Mon., Wed. and Fri. • 8:00 p.m.

refurbished building inside and out. All equipment, very clean established

business on Main Street.

Call and find out how

Taco Grande, building and

easy it is to own this neat

large corner lot with great

3/4 baths, office and large

financing. Price reduced to

and lovely deck off dining

fixtures, prime location on visibility with 4% owner

3-bedroom home with 1

room. Now only $75,500.

Let us build you a new home!

Lawrence and Associates

www.thomasreal-estate.com

914 W. 12th Scott City, Ks. 67871 (620)-872-7396 Cell: (620)-874-1753 or Cell: (620)-874-5002

Dighton

family room. SA garage

$87,500.

Thomas Real Estate

807 Kingsley Last Sat., Birthday Night, 6:30 p.m.

All open meetings, 874-8207 • 874-8118

Deb Lawrence, GRI Broker Shorty Lawrence, Sales Assoc.

513 Main • Scott City 872-5267 ofc. 872-7184 hm. lawrenceandassocrealty.com Sheila Ellis, Broker Assoc.

872-2056 Kerry Gough, Sales Assoc.

872-7337 Russell Berning, 874-4405 www.berningauction.com

Thursday • 8:30 p.m.

535 Wichita St. All open meetings, 397-2647

Don’t Fight The Crowds!

Get everyone on your list a subscription to:

406 S. Main • Box 377 Scott City, Ks. 67871 (620) 872-2090

Rates

Local and connecting counties: $40.88 In-State: $54.50 Out-of-State: $50 Student: $30.52 Online: $30

The gift that keeps giving all year long!

The Scott County Record • Page 33 • Thursday, November 19, 2015

Employment Opportunities

PARK LANE NURSING HOME Has openings for the following positions: Part-time CNA/CMA Part-time LPN/RN Shift differential pay offered for evening and night shifts!

Please apply in person at:

Park Lane Nursing Home

Needing drivers.

Scott City, 872-3485 or 1-800-942-7411

Full-Time Forensic Interviewer/ Advocate

13t3c

Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center This position works with childern that may have experienced abuse. Must have good communication, computer and writing skills.

We travel though Western Kansas so you must have a valid Kansas license and a flexible schedule.

Position is located in Scott City.

Salary depends on education and experience. Preference given to related degree and bilingual.

How to apply: Call 620-874-2272 or send resume to wkcac@pld.com 15t2c

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL The City of Scott City is accepting proposals for a Fixed Base Operator (FBO) at Scott City Municipal Airport. Guidelines for accepting proposals are available at City Hall, please call 620-872-5322 for this information.

Sealed proposals labeled “Scott City Municipal Airport FBO” must be received in City Hall, 221 W. 5th St., no later than 5:00 p.m., on Tuesday, December 1.

The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals.

14t2c

SCOTT COUNTY HOSPITAL HAS OPENINGS FOR THE FOLLOWING POSITIONS

Due to expansion Russell Child Development Center is accepting applications for the following positions: • Building Blocks Healthy Steps Specialist, Triple P Coach, and part-time Administrative Assistant • tiny-k Early Intervention Physical, Occupational and Speech therapists • Communications and Multimedia/Fund Development and Event Coordinator Competitive pay and benefits based upon qualifications and experience. EOE. RCDC provides early childhood services for young children and their families in Southwest Kansas. Travel required.

To apply complete online application at: greenbush.schoolrecruiter.net Positions open until filled.

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PATIENT CARE Acute Care RNs Emergency Department RN Float RN C.N.A.s - FT and PT Outreach/Specialty Clinic RN ROI Specialist/Transcriptionist Physical Therapist Respiratory Therapist Outreach C.N.A Applicants for these positions are required to be able to read, speak and understand English.

Pre-employment physical, drug/alcohol screening, immunization titer, physical assessment and TB skin test required. We are a tobacco free campus.

We offer competitive pay and great benefits.

Applications are available on our website at www.scotthospital.net or call 620-872-7772 for more information.

NEWS FLASH! If you were a winner of The Scott County Record Halloween Costume Contest your prize money is available.

Winnings can be picked up at The Scott County Record, Mon.,-Fri., 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

406 S. Main Scott City, Ks. 67871

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210 E. Parklane Scott City, KS 67871 Or visit us at our website: www.parklanenursinghome.org “Quality Care Because We Care”

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The Scott County Record

Business

Page 34 - Thursday, November 19, 2015

more than painting

Name doesn’t say it all with SC-based business

There was a time when PC Painting told the entire story of Paul and Leeann Cramer’s business.

That’s no longer the case as Cramer and his crew continue to expand the business and gain new customers across Western Kansas.

Over the years, PC Painting, located in Scott City, has been adding to its customer base with home and commercial remodeling and renovations across Western Kansas.

Paul Cramer got his start in the business as a foreman doing commercial painting for a company in Garden City for about nine years. It was in 1993 that he decided to go into business for himself.

“At the time, painting was all I did,” notes Cramer, a native of Scott City. “I started doing re-

modeling and renovation work in 2008 and things have really taken off from there.”

Inside or outside - from cabinet work to stucco Cramer and his crew can handle just about every aspect of construction.

The only exceptions are electrical and plumbing.

“When it comes to those phases of a job we go through local contractors,” he emphasizes. “We believe it’s important to keep money in town whenever possible.”

The decision to expand the business operations was in response to customer demand.

“When we started doing more remodeling work it was because people knew it’s something I could do, but it wasn’t something I was promoting,” he points out. “But

PC Painting owners Paul and Leeann Cramer in one of their newly remodeled kitchens for a Scott City homeowner.

(Record Photo) the more we did, the more the word got around and we started picking up more jobs.”

Cramer says he particularly enjoys remodeling projects.

He also enjoys the opportunity to make custom cabinets and furniture

Marketing research for small businesses now on-line

Small businesses in rural communities are the target for Kansas State University researchers who have opened a center to study social media and other on-line services.

Lauri Baker, associate professor of agricultural communications and journalism, said the Center for Rural Enterprise Engagement wants to help small businesses score big with new media technology.

“We are here to conduct research that helps people improve the bottom line of their business and to improve rural economies,” said Baker, noting that much of the center’s current research represents two to three years of recent work.

Their findings and other educational content can be found online at

www.ruralengagement. org.

“We saw a need for independently-owned rural businesses to learn how to capitalize on new online media technologies in order to advance their business goals,” said Cheryl Boyer, associate professor of horticulture, forestry and recreation resources.

In addition to social media - Facebook and Twitter research is abundant - the team has already looked at other online tools, such as how a small business can effectively use such popular consumer sites as eBay and Amazon.

“You’re not selling just to your neighbors anymore,” Baker said.

Online media “provides the opportunity to sell to someone on the other side

of the globe. It has opened a lot of doors to small business owners.”

Already, the center is seeing success. Scott Stebner, managing director for the center, told of a rural garden center that in two months increased its sales to customers in 20 states by capitalizing on online sales. That same business is now dedicating one full greenhouse to online sales.

“We want to help increase profit and help business owners understand how they can use new media and social media to increase the relationships with their customers,” said Stebner.

The center’s main website is at www.k-state.edu/ cree. E-mails can be sent to the staff at newmedia@ ksu.edu, or call 785-5321173.

that’s all wood - not veneered plywood.

“We can custom make furniture, trim, baseboards or anything else for a business or home,” he says.

At the heart of the continued growth of his business, says Cramer, is keeping customers satis-

fied with quality work.

“I don’t believe in taking shortcuts,” he says.

Cramer also feels he’s been able to surround himself with quality employees “who bring additional skills to the table.”

The staff now includes five employees, in addi-

tion to himself and Leeann. Some have been with the Cramers for more than 20 years.

“We’ve been working together for so long that we all know what has to be done and we can jump right into a project,” says Cramer.

Congratulations to Amy Norris!

Amy recently earned her Life and Health Insurance License.

Call or stop by our office to visit with her about your Life Insurance and Long Term Care Insurance needs.

(620) 872-5949 Office

411 S. Main St. Scott City FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.